Interleague games are always interesting. The American League team has to forgo their Designated Hitter, while the National League team looks forward to a striking out pitchers who rarely, if ever, have to step into the batter’s box.
So imagine my surprise to emerge from my daily yoga class to see that our star-spangled starting pitcher Rick Porcello had put three runs on the board for Boston with a 353-FT 3-run double!
It’s always a nice surprise for AL teams when their pitchers do well in the rare interleague matchups, let alone drive in 75% of the team’s runs.
According to ESPN, it was Porcello’s first extra-base hit of his career and his first RBI since 2009.
Better still, it was only Nats ace Max Scherzer’s second time giving up more than two earned runs all season. He’s now given up three extra-base hits to opposing pitchers in 284 appearances.
Did I mention he and Porcello were Tigers teammates from 2010-2014 and had never faced each other before?
Until Mookie’s solo homer in the 7th, Pretty Ricky was responsible for literally every run on the board. He held the Nationals to two runs on seven hits over six innings, walking two and striking out five.
Though Joe Kelly gave up a solo homer to Bryce Harper in the 8th, the Red Sox went on to win 4-3, mostly thanks to Porcello!
Photo: NESN
