:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59900269/usa_today_10863851.0.jpg)
Let the Twitter recap begin! First, as we said before the game, strange things were afoot:
A NASA scientist just played the national anthem at Fenway on a harp. Let's get weird.
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) May 30, 2018
And then E-Rod pitched so well it made my brain hurt, and we were off:
Efficient first inning for Eduardo Rodriguez, who retires the side in eight pitches
— Kevin Dillon (@ByKevinDillon) May 30, 2018
Home plate umpire Jerry Layne got hit above the knee after the ball bounced Sandy Leon’s glove. He yelled, “GODDAMNIT!” really loud.
— Gideon Dabi (@gideondabi) May 30, 2018
Dozen up, a dozen down. After 2 innings #RedSox #DirtyWater #TheGrassisGrowing
— DigitalSportsDesk (@DigSportsDesk) May 30, 2018
E-Rod fucking feeling it today
— David Randall (@Pope_Bitch) May 30, 2018
BLAKE SWIHART THA GAWD HAS ENDED DUELING NO-HITTERS
— Its Berger Baby (@ShitSteve0Says) May 30, 2018
It’s true. He did. Then this happened:
Hits in eight of his last 10 now for Jackie Bradley Jr. Doubles off the Monster and it's 1-0 #RedSox in the 3rd. He's back.
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
Jackie Bradley is about to go on a 30-game hitting streak, isn't he?
— Darren Hartwell (@darren_hartwell) May 30, 2018
JBJ haters watching the Red Sox lately pic.twitter.com/VdUaKxJXSh
— Sox Lunch (@Soxlunch) May 30, 2018
Andrew Benintendi is 20-for-50 over his last 14 games after that single to center in the 3rd. He's also got it going right now. #RedSox
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
Benintendi was initially ruled safe on a steal attempt, but video review overturned the call. Tough break for the Red Sox
— Kevin Dillon (@ByKevinDillon) May 30, 2018
The umpires got that one right on the field and then were inexplicably over-ruled on replay. Benintendi is touching second and the glove isn't on him yet. Should be safe pic.twitter.com/DPFwumpDrf
— Matthew Kory (@mattymatty2000) May 30, 2018
JBJ was definitely out at home.
— Nick Friar (@Nick_Friar) May 30, 2018
JBJ swoops right around that glove
— Fluff (@fluffhead_sc) May 30, 2018
Shocked that they overturned those two, but they were correct calls. Bradley got touched by the laces of the glove.
— Ryan Donaldson (@Maddawg81) May 30, 2018
Eduardo Rodriguez has retired all 12 batters he has faced through the first four innings here at Fenway Park.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 30, 2018
Strikeout throw out double play.
— Fenway Faithful (@faithfulsoxfans) May 30, 2018
ERod has still faced the minimum through 5 innings.
#BlueJays At least we got a hit. The no hitter is gone.
— Pam Swan (@pam_swan) May 30, 2018
Eduardo Nunez had gone 87 at-bats without a homer, before barely getting that one over the Monster. 2-0, Boston.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 30, 2018
Swihart hammers a single! Or a check swing dribbler. #redsox
— Teaching with the Red Sox (@Klopez1985) May 30, 2018
TWO FOR MOTHAFUCKIN TWO HERE WE GO EVERYBODY
— Blake Swihart (@FreeBlakeSwihrt) May 30, 2018
AVG
Then JBJ grounded out, and we moved to the sixth with E-Rod at 61 pitches and having allowed 1 hit and walking none. Then E-Rod struck out a guy:
Eduardo Rodriguez - (6 today, 5.2 IP, 71 pitches)
— MLB Strikeout (@mlbstrike) May 30, 2018
Foul tip by Gio Urshela caught plate umpire Jerry Layne square in the chest. He's in pain. Christian Vazquez reacted immediately. #RedSox
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
#BlueJays 0 @ #RedSox 2 [Top 6th, 2 out]:
— Blue Jays PBP (@BlueJaysPBP) May 30, 2018
Gio Urshela walks.
#BlueJays Teoscar Hernandez homers (8) to left off #RedSox Eduardo Rodriguez. Gio Urshela scores.
— MLB Home Runs (@mlb_home_runs) May 30, 2018
TOR 2 @ BOS 2; Top 6
Eduardo Rodriguez labored through 27 pitches in the 6th. Needed just 61 for the first five frames. Gio Urshela worked an eight-pitch walk, Kevin Pillar struck out after seven pitches. Puts the bullpen on alert. #RedSox
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
Butts. Life continued, as weird as promised:
#BlueJays 2 @ #RedSox 2 [Bot 6th, 0 out]:
— Blue Jays PBP (@BlueJaysPBP) May 30, 2018
Andrew Benintendi singles on a sharp line drive to CF Kevin Pillar.
[Batted Ball: 104mph 309ft]
Benintendi looks real good at leadoff. Just sayin'.
— Justin Varricchione (@Taco_Jones) May 30, 2018
Bogaerts, who hit a 433-foot homer yesterday, bunts for a foul-out to the catcher with Benintendi on first and no outs.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 30, 2018
BREAKING: A warrant is out for J.D. Martinez's arrest for murdering this baseball pic.twitter.com/p4extAEpe6 #RedSox #DirtyWater
— Tater Talk (@TaterTalkPod) May 30, 2018
GOOD GOD J. D. MARTINEZ
— Mitch (@melam730) May 30, 2018
J.D. Martinez just came through with a Mark McGwire 1999 Home Run Derby shot.
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) May 30, 2018
Hard to think of many players with a more surprising/big leap from mediocrity to stardom as JD Martinez. Jose Bautista was among the most recent, but Martinez is better than Bautista’s peak.
— Definitely NOT Bryan Colangelo (@iamjoonlee) May 30, 2018
He’s not wrong. J.D. Martinez murdered it. Sam Gaviglio seemed due for it, to be honest, which is what made the Xander Bogaerts bunt so weird. I went downstairs to get iced coffee and it was a commercial, so I figured the Sox went pretty quickly after that. Eddie got two outs and walked one in the seventh, and then:
Matt Barnes in to pitch for the Red Sox. Rodriguez finished with seven strikeouts and three hits, two earned runs after 100 pitches in 6.2 innings
— Blake Richardson (@rblakerich_) May 30, 2018
Grounder by Devon Travis goes off the glove of Blake Swihart at first and down the line in right. Jays with runners at the corners for Curtis Granderson. That's an E3. #RedSox
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
Thank you for not choking Barnes
— Temporary Capitals fan (38-17) (@patsbetter) May 30, 2018
THANK YOU MATT BARNES INDEED. Seunghwan Oh walked Brock Holt and struck out Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez, and then:
#RedSox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. continues his hot hitting streak with a single to left field.
— Red Sox on CLNS (@RedSoxCLNS) May 30, 2018
He has a .333 average over the last nine games with 4 doubles and 3 RBIs.
But Andrew Benintendi flew out to end the inning, and Matt Barnes was back out.
Don't look now, but Matt Barnes is putting together a nice little scoreless streak: 7.1 IP, 4H, 3 BB, 10 K. Pretty solid month of May, to be honest. He's held opponents to a .175 avg this month.
— Dan O'Mara (@Dan_OMara) May 30, 2018
Matt Barnes - (1 today, 1.0 IP, 12 pitches)
— MLB Strikeout (@mlbstrike) May 30, 2018
Matt Barnes - (2 today, 1.1 IP, 15 pitches)
— MLB Strikeout (@mlbstrike) May 30, 2018
Xander Bogaerts has hit singles off of the Green Monster in back-to-back games. Those are probably doubles at other parks. He's hitting the ball well
— Kevin Dillon (@ByKevinDillon) May 30, 2018
Bogaerts would have so many XBH if he didn’t hit piss rockets to the wall
— 38-17 (@Gonzalez_Isaac_) May 30, 2018
Eduardo Nunez just poked the ball over first base for an RBI double. Sometimes, it's just about placement
— Kevin Dillon (@ByKevinDillon) May 30, 2018
The Sox then tweeted this, which is weird:
Eduardo Nunez just poked the ball over first base for an RBI double. Sometimes, it's just about placement
— Kevin Dillon (@ByKevinDillon) May 30, 2018
The bottom of the eighth felt like an eternity, as Blue Jays relievers blew it every which way.
Brock Holt slaps one through the left side and it's 6-2 #RedSox in the 8th. The Jays have been nicked and cut into submission in this inning.
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
Thus bringing us to the glorious ninth, with Brian Johnson the mound. Things started so nicely:
Brian Johnson's walk-in song is "Don't Back Down" by the late, great Tom Petty. I support his choice.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 30, 2018
But got bad fast:
For the second straight day, the Red Sox' efforts to give Craig Kimbrel the 9th inning off seem destined to fail. Pillar and Solarte with lasers to open the 9th vs Brian Johnson, and here comes Kimbrel.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 30, 2018
Craig Kimbrel summoned with the tying run in the on-deck circle. #RedSox lead 6-2 in the 9th. Similar to last night when he shut down an 8-3 win.
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) May 30, 2018
This happened on a 2-2 count:
@MLB how is pitch 5 a ball? Please review with Jerry Layne. pic.twitter.com/XwUG7guVEj
— Rob Farrow (@Rob_Farrow) May 30, 2018
Kimbrel had a K....Ball right down the middle.....Walked instead....Wow
— Donnie RightSide™ (@RightSideVP) May 30, 2018
Two-run double for Kendrys Morales, #RedSox lead down to 6-4 T9, #BlueJays have men at second and third with none out, Devon Travis up
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) May 30, 2018
That’s bad!
There we go. One down. #RedSox
— ℭ (38-17) ⚾️ (@AndrewCollet) May 30, 2018
Two down! Kimbrel back on track. #RedSox
— ℭ (38-17) ⚾️ (@AndrewCollet) May 30, 2018
And finally!:
Red Sox win, 6-4.
— Sam Leweck (@samleweck) May 30, 2018
They’re off to Houston. I’m going outside, happy.