Red Sox : Lets Dugie It Again

For the third time this season and second time in two days Alex Verdugo sent the Fenway faithful home from the park or off to bed with a smile on their faces.

Last night in front of a less than capacity crowd Verdugo launched a bottom of the ninth inning home run into the night and the Sox came out on top of a 6-5 game that should never have been as close as it was. The Sox jumped out early with a 2-0 after one then fell behind 3-2 after another shaky start by Corey Kluber. But the Sox kept scrapping back as they have all season. Jarren Duran got the crowd up with a 6th inning lead off HR to dead center and rookie Enmanuel Valdez backed that up with his first homer a 2 run shot in the big leagues to make it 5-3.

Kluber gave up 3 runs in the second inning but righted the ship and got through the first five and a third, the Jays didn't cross home plate again. Brennan Bernardino finished off that square for Kluber and the Sox pen kept it clean if not exciting until the 8th. Josh Winkowski took the mound for Boston and got burned by a double he gave up to Biggio and a curse put on Kiké Hernández throwing arm. He made two errors in that inning that I couldn't hang on Tristan Casas if I tried ( and I tried ) 2 unearned crossed and going into the bottom of the eighth it was 5-5 and there it stayed. That is until Dugie Fresh came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Boom - Gone - See Ya . Sox win 6-5.

To say the Jays had their way with Boston last year, would be an understatement. Boston took just 3 games of the 19 these long time rivals squared up in. to get this W in this way has to feel good for everyone who remains in that clubhouse. I said from the onset of this season. The Sox would need players to step up in 2023 whose names are not Rafael Devers. And they have. And Dugie is leading the way.

As always you can follow / give me grief on Twitter @Tmurph207