BOSTON — The Red Sox’ ninth-inning problems came back on Friday night. This time, they survived.
Good thing the Red Sox got some insurance with a three-run seventh, because once again, they made things far more interesting than they needed to be. The Red Sox nearly fumbled away what should have been an easy victory in the ninth, but the bullpen ultimately shut the door on a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to open a three-game series at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox led 6-1 with two outs in the ninth when it almost went terribly wrong for them. Austin Davis couldn’t record the final out, forcing manager Alex Cora to summon Tanner Houck to finish the job. It was difficult for him, too, as he gave up a two-run double to Tommy Edman. But Houck ultimately came through with a strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt to end it and breathe relief into the Red Sox.
Story comes through
A month ago had seemed like longer since Trevor Story finally broke out of his season-opening slump with a torrid two-week stretch. But it was followed with a crashing fall back to earth as he searched for his swing, which prompted his own questions.
“I saw him, he asked me something about what I see, I said, you’ll be OK,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said earlier this week. “And he will be OK.”
He certainly looked OK on Friday.
Story’s at-bats have been more quality over the course of this week, and he got a nice pick-me-up to confirm his progress on Friday. Story was a star on both ends of the field. He flashed his glove at second with a pair of outstanding plays, and his two-run single broke a tie game in the fourth inning.
Story had been scuffling, hitting .188 with a .588 OPS in 18 games entering Friday after his nine-homer, 25-RBI stretch in May. But there’s something about coming through in a big spot that can do wonders for confidence, and that’s what Story did in the fourth. With J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts both in scoring position, Story came up with one out and punched a two-strike sinker that found a hole the other way to drive in both runs.
It was an all-around encouraging game for Story, who continued to look like a natural at second. He made two terrific plays — a diving stop to throw out a runner in the third, and a spinning play to throw out a runner in the fourth.
Duran shows off his wheels
When Jarren Duran was called up for his third stint with the Red Sox earlier this week, Cora was hoping to see the outfielder show off his speed. The manager had a front row seat as Duran opened the first with a burst around the bases.
Facing a 3-2 count against Adam Wainwright, Duran crushed a sinker in the middle of the zone to straightaway center, where the ball smacked off the wall above a leaping Harrison Bader. That’s when Duran turned on the jets. The ball caromed away from the center fielder and Duran motored around second, easily making it to third for a stand-up triple. Two batters later, Duran scored to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.
It’s a small sample size, but Duran – who went 2 for 3 with a double on Thursday – is looking more and more comfortable hitting at the major league level, as evidenced against the 40-year-old Wainwright, a veteran still pitching well in his 17th season. Duran also worked a walk against him as he raised his OPS to .945 this season in 25 plate appearances.
Wacha gets best of former team
Michael Wacha wasn’t his sharpest, but facing his old team and his mentor in Wainwright, it was enough as he bounced back from a rough outing last weekend in Seattle.
Wacha, who played the first seven seasons of his career with St. Louis, faced his former team for the first time in his career and was solid as he went 5 1/3 innings, with his lone blemish coming on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado in the second. He gave up six hits and a walk, and ran into trouble in the sixth when Paul Goldschmidt and Arenado reached on him, but he got some help. John Schreiber wasted the Cardinals’ rally in seven pitches. Nolan Gorman flew out on the first pitch and Tyler O’Neill struck out with the count full to end the inning.
