Not a whole lot to this one. Just another Red Sox win.
Both starters — Rick Porcello, who allowed just two hits and had a season-high 10 strikeouts, and Nick Pivetta of the Phillies — were strong and three solo shots (two by the Red Sox) account for all of the scoring.
In another example of Alex Cora pushing all the right buttons, Porcello was lifted after just 90 pitches for a pinch-hitter, Brock Holt, in the eighth. He took the first pitch he saw from Tommy Hunter and hit a 424-foot blast to right field.
That would do it.
In-game updates from Bedard:
9:47: Stolen base gets tying run to second with two outs and two strikes. ... Strikeout on a ball in the dirt, but Leon makes the throw to Moreland. BALLGAME.
9:44: Line-drive out to Bogaerts, who is mad at himself for not dropping it for the double play. Two outs.
9:42: Hernandez pops out. One out.
9:41: Kimbrel, who's been an adventure of the past month, walks the lead-off hitter. Sigh.
9:12: Heath Hembree is in for the eighth. ... He got a strikeout despite hitting Herrera when he swung on the pitch. ... 1-2-3 for Hembree.
9:06: Betts followed with a one-out double.
9:04: Brock Holt pinch-hits for Porcello and promptly launches a 424-foot bomb off the second deck in right field. RUN: Red Sox 2, Phillies 1.
https://twitter.com/DingerTracker/status/1029534229305217029
8:59: Porcello finishes off another perfect inning with his 10th strikeout.
8:51: Devers draws a walk on a close pitch while Neshak held his hand up. Let's see if the home plate umpire holds it against him. ... Blah, one pitch to Nunez, who lines out to end the inning.
8:45: Sidewinder Pat Neshak is into the game to face Martinez.
8:43: Nine Ks and two hits for Porcello through six.
8:37: Moreland charged one to the fence in center with two outs, but it was caught.
69 pitches for Porcello.
84 pitches for Pivetta.
Pivetta is done as Gabe Kapler pinch hits for him in the sixth. Interesting.
8:21: Well, the thing we weren't talking about — Porcello's perfect game — is over after he hung a curveball to Rhys Hoskins and he blasted it out to left. RUN: Phillies 1, Red Sox 1.
8:12: 12 up, 12 down with seven strikeouts for Porcello.
7:55: Nine up, down for Porcello who strikes out two more to give him five Ks.
7:40: Porcello, who had a three-run double in Washington, doubles to right-center on the first pitch and slides into second headfirst. ... Betts walked. First and second with one out. .. Benintendi grounds into inning-ending double play.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1029517279132672000
7:39: Sandy Leon goes deep to right-center field to give the Red Sox an early lead. RUN: Red Sox 1, Phillies 0.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1029515533333553152
7:33: Porcello has retired the first six batters with three strikeouts.
7:23: Martinez leads off the second with one of his normal bullets to left. ... Erased with a hard-hit double to play third by Bogaerts.
7:19: Phillies also go down in order as Porcello fans two in the first.
7:13: Red Sox go in order as they don't hit one ball hard.
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- Jackie Bradley sits tonight with Mookie Betts in center and J.D. Martinez in right. Bradley is set to play tomorrow night while Betts sits.
- The Red Sox returned catcher/utility player Blake Swihart from his rehab assignment with Lowell and activated him from the 10-day disabled list. To make room for Swihart on the active roster, catcher Dan Butler was designated for assignment.
- Second baseman Ian Kinsler, who is with the team and set to workout today, could be activated Wednesday or Friday.