All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Cardinals, complete with BSJ analysis and insight
HEADLINES
Pivetta rebounds from early struggles: Starter Nick Pivetta wasn't sharp in the beginning, issuing one walk in the first, two more in the second and a fourth to lead off the third inning. But after that, Pivetta cleaned up some hitches in his delivery and pitched seven full innings, allowing just one run the rest of the way. He finished with 10 strikeouts while allowing just four hits. Over his last nine starts, Pivetta has emerged as the Red Sox' best starter, going 7-1 with a 1,77 ERA. In each of those nine starts, he's gone at least five innings and he's given the Sox seven innings or more in five of his last eight. At a time when the Sox are missing 40 percent of their starting rotation, he's not only been their most dominant starter but also, their most dependable one.
Vazquez provides some sock: The Red Sox can't wait around for Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez or Xander Bogaerts to carry the offense every night. At some point, others have to step up and produce. On an afternoon in which the BIg Three were just 1-for-9 -- and that hit being a single -- the Sox got thump from the lower half of the lineup, led by their catcher. Christian Vazquez laced a leadoff double into the right field corner in the seventh, then came around on a run-scoring single by Rob Refsnyder. Then, Vazquez hammered a pitch into the Monster Seats for a three-run homer in the eighth. At the time, it looked like the homer iced the win, but as the Sox struggled in the top of the ninth, the homer actually turned out to be the winning margin. Eight of Vazquez's last 14 hits have been for extra bases.
Ninth inning issues continue: No matter the opponent or the size of the lead, the Sox can't seem to have an easy ninth inning. On Friday night in the series opener, the Sox almost squandered a five-run lead before holding off the Cards with the potential tying run in scoring position. On Sunday, it happened again. The Sox were seemingly comfortably ahead 6-1, but Tyler Danish allowed a double and a walk before pinch-hitter Juan Yepes launched a three-run homer into the Monster Seats, That forced the Sox to bring closer Tanner Houck into the game when they shouldn't have needed him. After giving up an infield single, Houck slammed the door and earned his fourth save. But the Sox' insistence on playing with fire is going to burn them eventually.
TURNING POINT
In the fourth inning, with the game tied 1-1, the Cards got a two-out run-scoring single from Harrison Bader. Bader took second on a throw home, then swiped third base, giving St. Louis the potential go-ahead run at third base. But Pivetta bore down and fanned catcher Ivan Herrera, freezing Bader at third. From that point on, Pivetta faced 10 more hitters and allowed just two to reach while more than half (five) of his final nine outs were via strikeouts.
TWO UP
John Schreiber: Facing the Cardinals 2-3-4 hitters in the eighth, he struck out the side on 14 pitches, with all three of the strikeouts coming on called third strikes.
Trevor Story: Story got the Sox on the board with an opposite-field homer in the second, snapping a 20-game homerless streak and increasing his RBI to a team-leading 45.
TWO DOWN
J.D. Martinez: It was a long afternoon at the plate for the veteran DH, who fanned three times and also hit into a double play in four plate appearances.
Xander Bogaerts: For arguably the most consistent hitter in the lineup, it was a rare hitless afternoon, with Bogaerts going 0-for-3 -- albeit with a walk.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It was a really big series for us. They're a tremendous baseball club. They do all the right things. They have a really good lineup and good pitching well, and for us to to come out with two-of-three is really huge for us.'' Nick Pivetta.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Rafael Devers was hit by a pitch for the fourth time in the last seven games.
* Tanner Houck has a save in each of his last four appearances.
* Jackie Bradley Jr. is hitting .313 in home games this season.
* Over the last 18 games, Red Sox starters have posted a 2.11 ERA.
* The Red Sox improved to 13-4 in the month of June.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a three-game series, starting at 7:10 p.m. It will be RHP Josh Winckowski (1-1, 4.50) vs. Alex Faedo (1-3, 4.28)