Alex Cora did more than tinker with the lineup; he rebuilt the engine, replaced all the fluids, and then detailed the exterior. Nate Eaton led off, Roman Anthony went third, Rob Refsnyder batted cleanup as DH, while Jarren Duran slotted in seventh. It worked, immediately.

Nate Eaton landed on base due to an error on the first play of the game. Oh, how the tables had turned! It wasn’t our crappy infield defense (yet)—and we were able to savor a moment of life on the other side. Eaton eventually scored and the Sox ended the inning having amassed two doubles, a walk, and two runs.

The second inning featured a great over-the-shoulder catch, on the run, by Duran. It was a big play that saved two runs. Would our mojo have survived tying up the game at that point, and putting the tying run on second? Luckily, we didn’t have to find out.

The Sox exploded for seven runs in the third inning; two batters came to the plate twice. Things mostly quieted down after that but that’s the advantage of striking first. Ceddanne Rafaela caused some concern in the eighth when he rounded second on his way to a triple, but stumbled, rolled, and stood up holding his back. He was tagged out and although he came out of the game, he stayed in the dugout and seemed to be okay.

Walker Buehler was much improved, lasting five innings and giving up ZERO walks. I hesitate to call him a Stud (he wasn’t as good as all that) but he wasn’t the disaster I was expecting, and for that, I’m thankful.

We’re back at .500, folks. See you on Crochet Day tomorrow!

Studs

Offense

They not only struck early, scoring twice in the first, but put together seven runs in the third, effectively slamming the door shut. Disruptor Nate Eaton took advantage of poor Nationals defense. There were scorching hits by Duran (triple) and Ceddanne Rafaela (two-run homer), and several doubles to go around.

Jarren Duran

He had a terrific catch early in the game, followed by a two-run triple.

Romy Gonzalez (at the plate)

3-5, 2R, 2 RBI

Duds

Infield Defense

One play generated two errors in the third inning: one fielding error by Toro who let the ball get past him, then a second error by Gonzalez who seemingly—and unnecessarily—tried to scoop-throw the rolling ball but shanked it wide, allowing the runner to advance to third. This was called a throwing error, but was also Bad Judgment and eventually allowed a run to score. The Sox had already made it so lopsided, that it didn’t matter much in this contest, other than providing more evidence that our sloppy judgment just won’t quit.

Honorable Mention

NESN announcers called Nate Eaton “Adam” at least twice. It’s the future that matters, guys, not the past.

Play of the Game

There’s plenty to choose from offensively, but I’m going with Jarren Duran’s incredible catch in the second. This is one we’ll remember.