GAME #5 - TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 - BOSTON RED SOX @ DETROIT TIGERS

[longgame]

1:10PM Eastern

Red Sox

Rich Hill (L)

1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
4. J.D. Martinez (R) DH
5. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
6. Christian Arroyo (R) RF
7. Alex Verdugo (L) LF
8. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
9. Jonathan Arauz (S) 2B

Tigers

Tyler Alexander (L)

1. Robbie Grossman (S) RF
2. Jonathan Schoop (R) 2B
3. Javier Baez (R) SS
4. Jeimer Candelario (S) 3B
5. Miguel Cabrera (R) DH
6. Eric Haase (R) LF
7. Akil Baddoo (L) CF
8. Spencer Torkelson (R) 1B
9. Dustin Garneau (R) C




Gametime Temp: 60°F
Chance of Precip: 0%

[markj]

What's with the day games? They worried about the cooler temps in the evening or something?

[longgame]

What's with the day games? They worried about the cooler temps in the evening or something?

Next night game is next Tuesday!

[longgame]

Sox down 3-0.  2 hits through 4 innings so this one is likely over with.  Hill looking like a 40-something guy out there.

[markj]

Suddenly tied up.

[longgame]

Amazing to see.  Plawecki, batting 8th, had a single.  Arauz bunted him over.  Our leadoff man got his first hit of the season, a double knocking in Plawecki, Devers had a double and then JDM had one after an out by Bogey.  Almost like a real baseball team!

[markj]

Couple more runs. Now 5-3 Sox.

[markj]

Whitlock with a good outing. Sox win 5-3. Good to see a comeback win like that.

[longgame]

They needed this win!  Nice job by Whitlock.  I guess the Hill/Whitlock combo works.  4 innings of no hit ball. 

A couple of funny things - for some reason a couple of times when Cabrera has been up they've played Hava Negila.  can't imagine that's his walk up music!

Then post-game, Devers was being interviewed.  He takes the question in English, fully understands it but then answers in Spanish.  I talk to my brother in law that way - I speak English, he replies in Spanish!

[SeaBeachFred]

I almost conceded when we got behind 3-0 in the early going since we haven't done much hitting so far in the young season, but we made a good comeback, got some key clutch hits and pulled it out.  Now let's see is we can go on a run and win a few games in a row  Whitlock was tough out there, four solid innings of pitching for us.  I do wonder it he is a potential closer can we afford to pitch him four innings each time out?  Seems to be Cora still has some real fine tuning to do with our pitching staff, and it wouldn't hurt if we start getting some real solid hitting from the first two thirds of the batting order because it doesn't seem likely we're getting much from the bottom third.

[Sea Dog 23]

I almost conceded when we got behind 3-0 in the early going since we haven't done much hitting so far in the young season, but we made a good comeback, got some key clutch hits and pulled it out.  Now let's see is we can go on a run and win a few games in a row  Whitlock was tough out there, four solid innings of pitching for us.  I do wonder it he is a potential closer can we afford to pitch him four innings each time out?  Seems to be Cora still has some real fine tuning to do with our pitching staff, and it wouldn't hurt if we start getting some real solid hitting from the first two thirds of the batting order because it doesn't seem likely we're getting much from the bottom third.

Cora said he had a plan to piggyback Hill and Whit, 4+4.  I guess we saw that today.  But that removes Whit from working out of the pen every other day I would think.  Ironically Whit got extended 4 years this week.  A thoughtful move by Bloom.

[MongoLikeSox]

The Sox have maintained that Whitlock will be a starter. He's being stretched out as part of that strategy that had started this Spring. Some expect this move to happen later this season.

That reminds me. He gave up a high, inner part of the plate HR to lamahue. Brasier gave up the Baez blast on an even higher pitch. I've seen Devers get on top of one at his shoulders. I wonder if these boys are starting to wisen up to the high waste pitch that's common in baseball? It's early.

Anyhow - Yay Sox!!!

[longgame]

Cora said he'd run this combo for as long as could, or something along those lines, so I think they're hoping to get Hill stretched out a little more.  I really hope the focus is to get these starters into at least the 7th inning.  Burning up the bullpen won't help.  With the larger rosters they have that luxury for now.

Mongo, you have to wonder if they're sitting on it on certain counts.  Of course Devers swings and doesn't miss balls over the place.