Double jeopardy rules
Defense bails out Pomeranz
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drew Pomeranz said he “kind of figured” Mallex Smith was going to lay down a bunt, but there’s no way he could have expected what came next.
In the second inning, with runners on second and third and one out, Smith dragged a bunt down the first-base line that turned out to be a bizarre play. It was a good bunt, but Mitch Moreland was in position, and then the Red Sox profited from some iffy baserunning by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Moreland caught Wilson Ramos off the bag at third, and fired to Deven Marrero, who tagged out Ramos. Then, Marrero caught Brad Miller in a pickle between second and third for the threat-ending double play.
It was the type of break the Red Sox needed, and helped spring them to an 8-3 win over Tampa Bay last night at Tropicana Field.
“Our defense has been so great behind all of us all year,” Pomeranz said. “I just tell myself to let them put it in play and let them do their thing because they’re so good out there.”
The next half inning, the Red Sox used a four-run spurt highlighted by Dustin Pedroia’s two-run homer to take control on their way to bouncing back from two straight losses and moving 41⁄2 games in front of the Yankees, 51⁄2 on the Rays.
“It was good,” Pomeranz said. “We got out of that inning and go in and put up some runs right away. I think momentum was in our favor there, we just kind of ran away with it.”
The theme of this one was the double play.
Pomeranz was solid yet again, and despite giving up a season-high five walks, he made the key pitches.
After that second-inning DP, perhaps none other was bigger than the twin-killing he issued in the fifth — one inning after allowing two runs in a 31-pitch frame. Facing a bases-loaded, one-out threat, the lefty induced Ramos to ground into an inningending 5-4-3 double play. Crisis yet again averted. “They put a number of guys on base,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Drew had to pitch with his back against the wall a few times and really showed, I thought, a lot of tenacity in those moments.”
Pomeranz went six innings and allowed just two earned runs to go with his six strikeouts. The five walks was alarming — a product he said of “missing a little bit here and there” on a night he threw more fastballs than usual. But he didn’t make the pitch that really hurt him.
The Red Sox have now won in seven of Pomeranz’ last nine starts.
“I had some baserunners, had some walks, but again, made some good pitches when I needed to and defense made some great plays behind me,” Pomeranz said. “Had some crazy, kind of freaky plays happen, but it was a good night for everybody out there.”
In the seventh, the double play saved the Sox again. After Heath Hembree gave up a solo homer and then put runners on first and third with one out, Matt Barnes relieved him and immediately got another twin-killing.
It was the last bit of danger the Sox faced.
The offense bounced back, too. In addition to Pedroia, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo shot in the fifth, and Hanley Ramirez smashed an insurance homer in the ninth off lefty Adam Kolarek.