By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief
BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox game was being televised by Apple TV and the NBA Playoffs were on Amazon Prime. Just what’s a sports fan without a Smart TV to do?
Pro lacrosse on ESPNU? College lacrosse on the Big Ten Network? Women’s pro ice hockey on NESN, not NESN+ or some other outlet to make room for the Red Sox. College baseball is on the ACC Network and the Big Ten Network, too.
Then, there’s always WEEI-Radio, 93.7 on your FM dial. All you would’ve heard is silence, as in three-up, three-down.
The fact of the matter is that you could’ve gone nine full innings and witnessed a grand total of seven hits, three by the Tigers and four by the Sox.
Many a baseball eye might’ve thought it was a classic pitcher’s dual, but neither lefty Ranger Suarez of the Sox, nor righty Casey Mize of Detroit looked particularly sharp. But they were both quite efficient.
What could be said is that both teams played a strong defensive game, including Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela gunning down Detroit DH Jahmai Jones with a perfect throw to second to nip Jones’ effort to stretch a base hit to a double in thje top of the first inning. Or, a nifty 6-4-3 double-play by the Tigers in the home half of the fourth inning, cutting down Boston’s Trevor Story and the heart of the Sox line-up just before they could place a rally cap on Sox guest legend Jonny Gomes who was in the ballpark to soak up some suds and some cheers.
With two gone and one on (Jarren Duran infield hit), Mize, the Tigers’ starter, gave way to reliever Kyle Finnegan who retired the side on a ground ball to third (Hao-Yu Lee) and a major league scoop by first baseman Spencer Torkelson to keep the goose eggs fresh on the old school Monster scoreboard.
Mize departed with 6.2 IP, allowing three hits, no runs, while walking one batter and striking out seven. He threw 94 pitches (58 strikes) in the game.
Suarez, the Sox starter, went 8.0 IP, allowing only two hits and no runs while walking one and striking out four Detroit batters. Suarez threw 93 pitches with 55 for strikes before giving way to Sox closer Aroldis Chapman who entered the game in the top of the ninth with the score still blank.
Finnegan kept us awake long enough to give way to lefty Brant Hurter in the bottom of the eighth with two out and one on base (Conner Wong walk), and Hurter retired Roman Anthony on a drive to left center. No score through eight full innings.
Chapman held his own, although he did face clean-up hitter in catcher Dillon Dingler with men on second and third and two out. Chapman struck out Dingler to retire the side and turn the game over to the Red Sox offense in the bottom of the ninth to no avail.
Free baseball placed the phantom runner (Dingler) on second base, and he tagged-up on a fly ball to right by pinch hitter Riley Greene, but the Tigers bats stalled and reliever Garrett Whitlock retired three straight batters to send it to the home 10th with the Sox phantom runner, the speedy Jarren Duran, on second base and Rafaela at bat.
With a 2-2 count, Duran advanced to third base on a wild pitch by reliever Will Vest, giving the Red Sox the golden opportunity to win the game.
Rafaela struck out.
Sox second baseman Marcelo Mayer, facing the Tigers’ infield of five players, drew a walk, and Boston manager sent pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida to the plate, first and third with only one out. The Tigers kept five infielder close and two outfielders stationed in left center and right center field.
Yoshida slapped a base hit over the first baseman’s head and it rolled slowly towards the right field wall, a walk-off single and game-winning RBI to score Duran.
Boston took the first game of the four game series, 1-0.