All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 5-3 win over the Tigers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Hill and Whitlock work well together: Ever since the offseason signing of Rich Hill, the Red Sox envisioned a scenario where Hill would start games, go four or five innings, and then turn the game over to Garrett Whitlock. The plan worked like a charm in its first implementation of 2022. Hill allowed three runs in the third inning, but that was hardly indicative of the way he threw the ball and more about some bad luck and suspect outfield defense. After Hirokazu Sawamura got the final two outs of the fifth for Hill, it was Whitlock's turn, and he was nearly perfect over four innings. He didn't allow a hit and yielded just one baserunner (walk). He was also extremely efficient, as he recorded 12 outs on just 39 pitches. It won't always be this smooth when the Sox piggyback the two, but it was hard to argue with the strategy the first time it was tried.
Offense snaps back: After scoring just seven runs in the previous three games, the Sox bats began to stir in the sixth, with three runs as the Sox used two singles, two doubles and a failed attempt at a bunt base hit to erase a 3-0 Detroit lead. Then, in the eighth, the Sox capitalized on some mistakes by the Tigers (walk, hit batsman, wild pitch) and two well-timed hits -- one from Rafael Devers and another from Christian Arroyo -- to score twice more and take the lead for good. It was encouraging that the Sox worked two walks over the final three innings, something they had not been doing with any regularity.
Some luck helps: There's no way definitively know, but it appeared as though the Sox caught a huge break in the sixth. With two down and two runs in, J.D. Martinez sliced a ball down the right-field line. The ball dropped near the foul line and Devers scored from second base, tying the game. The Tigers, believing the ball was foul, asked for a replay challenge. TV replays were somewhat inconclusive because of the camera glare and a poor angle on the play, but cameras did show a divot near in the area the ball landed, one which was clearly in foul territory, an inch or so away from the line. Whether that was the actual site of the Martinez's ball, the call stood and the Sox had come all the way back from being down 3-0. Moreover, they had all the momentum.
TURNING POINT
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Tigers were leading 3-0, and had a baserunner on first base as Hirokazu Sawamura came on to relieve Hill. Jonathan Schoop hit a pop-up into foul territory at third, and Robbie Grossman took for second base. Grossman, however, never tracked where the ball was hit, and as he came out of his pop-up slide at first, was stunned to see Rafael Devers with the ball. He ran back to first, but Devers' throw easily beat him and he was doubled up, taking the Tigers out of the inning. From that point on, the Red Sox scored five runs and the Tigers never got a baserunner past first base.
TWO UP
Kike Hernandez: After going hitless through the first four games (and the first two at-bats Tuesday), Hernandez came alive with a run-scoring double in the sixth, a walk and a run scored in the eighth and another double in the ninth. He credited some extra work he did after Monday's loss, and adjusting his hands in his stance.
Rafael Devers: Devers posted his second straight multi-hit game (three singles) and knocked in two runs. As important, he also made a terrific backhand play on a ball down the third base line to take extra bases away from Jonathan Schoop in the fifth inning.
TWO DOWN
Christian Arroyo: Arroyo contributed a huge run-scoring single in the eighth, but took some indirect routes to a couple of balls in right field, a reminder that there's a learning curve that comes with learning the outfield on the fly.
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo went without a hit at the plate (0-for-4), and was also charged with a throwing error in the fourth inning after he boxed a ball around in the left-field corner.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That's something that you can't control...You're going to give up (hard-hit) balls for outs as well. That's the way baseball is.'' -- Rich Hill, on a couple of seeing-eye hits the Tigers strung together in the third inning.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The game was the first this season in which the Red Sox didn't have at least one homer.
* Rich Hill didn't throw a pitch faster than 89 mph for the afternoon.
* Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to five straight games to open the season.
* Kike Hernandez snapped an 0-for-19 slump when he doubled in the fifth inning.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox close out their first road trip of the season with their final game in Detroit at 1:10 p.m. It will be RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 5.40) vs. former Red Sox starter LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-0, 6.75), making his second start for his new team.