(SportsNetwork.com) – Left-hander Wade Miley takes another crack at his first
win as a member of the Boston Red Sox on Thursday when they close out a three-
game set with the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park.
Acquired this winter from Arizona, Miley did not get a decision in his first
start with the Red Sox on Friday against the New York Yankees. Miley pitched
well, but was long gone before the game was decided, as he gave up four hits
and two runs over 5 1/3 innings and left with the lead.
The bullpen, though, couldn’t hold it, but the Red Sox did eventually did win
the game in 19 innings.
Miley has faced the Nats five times and is 1-2 against them with a 2.03 ERA.
Washington, meanwhile, will turn to a lefty of its own in Gio Gonzalez, who
seemed headed toward a win in Philadelphia on Friday before running into
trouble. Gonzalez held the Phillies scoreless over the first six innings, but
he loaded the bases in the seventh before being pulled.
All three baserunners came around to score and Gonzalez was charged with the
loss, as he allowed five hits and three runs over 6 1/3 innings. He also
walked four batters.
Gonzalez is 3-1 lifetime versus the Red Sox with a 5.24 ERA in six starts.
Boston won a wild one on Tuesday, as Allen Craig scored the deciding run in a
bizarre bottom of the seventh inning to help the Red Sox eke out an 8-7
victory.
Mookie Betts drove in two runs while Dustin Pedroia homered for the Red Sox,
who have won the first two in this series and six of eight to begin the
season. Daniel Nava and Brock Holt added an RBI apiece in the victory.
“I thought offensively we did a solid job from start to finish,” Red Sox
manager John Farrell said.
Edward Mujica (1-1) fanned two over 1 1/3 scoreless relief innings, while Koji
Uehara turned in a quiet ninth for his first save of the year.
Michael Taylor posted two hits and drove in three for the Nationals, who have
dropped five of their last six. Ian Desmond knocked in a pair but committed a
defensive gaffe that led to the game-winning score.
“It’s the same recipe,” Washington manager Matt Williams said. “If you put all
the ingredients together the same way every time, then you’re going to get the
same meal.”
Blake Treinen (0-1) was responsible for the winning, though unearned, run
while recording five outs in relief.
Trailing 7-5 in their second-to-last at-bat, the Red Sox picked up three runs
without a hit to take the lead for good. Hanley Ramirez reached on a Desmond
error, while both Shane Victorino and pinch-hitter Craig were hit by Matt
Thornton pitches to load the bases with one down.
Treinen followed by bobbling an easy grounder from Ryan Hanigan near the mound
and threw wild to home, which allowed Ramirez and Victorino to score. Holt
then grounded to Desmond, who elected to get the out at first, allowing Craig
to score the go-ahead run.
“It’s not going to happen every day, but you’ve got to take advantage when
that happens, so that’s what we did,” Ramirez said.
Boston had jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth, but the Nats scored six
times in the fifth to take the lead.
This is the first series between these teams since 2012 when the Nationals
swept a three-game set at Fenway.
As has been tradition each April 15 since 2009, Major League Baseball will
celebrate Jackie Robinson Day with all players and on-field personnel wearing
No. 42 during that day’s games, including the Civil Rights Game at Dodger
Stadium.
