On his 28th birthday, usually reliable Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel was perfectly positioned to kick off the celebrations with his first win of the season on Saturday.
David Ortiz had wrestled back the lead with a ninth-inning home run, and with two out in the bottom of the inning, Kimbrel had worked Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak to an 0-2 count.
However, Smoak misread the script, driving a single up the middle. After Smoak was replaced by pinch runner Ezequiel Carrera, catcher Russell Martin drove home the tying run on a 2-2 count. Devon Travis drove in Martin on another 0-2 count as the Blue Jays walked off with a 10-9 win.
Whatever he had planned for Saturday night, his birthday celebrations did not exactly get off to the most auspicious of starts.
“Papi going out there and hitting the home run that was huge for us,” Kimbrel (0-2) said. “It was very disappointing that I wasn’t able to close the door after that.”
The winning hit from Travis got a mixed reaction in the Red Sox locker room. Third baseman Travis Shaw had to dive to corral the drive, but his throw to first was dropped by Hanley Ramirez, allowing Martin’s game-winning run to stand.
“It’s a tough play, it’s a tough play for any first baseman, I don’t care how many games you’ve played over at first base,” Dustin Pedroia said. “I’ve seen that done by Gold Glovers and everybody. That’s not the reason why we lost the game.”
Up 8-4 when starter Rick Porcello left the game after 6-2/3 innings, the Red Sox had looked in good position to grab a series-leveling victory. However, those hopes started to unravel in the eighth, as Martin, Travis and Jose Bautista drove in runs off the bullpen, combined with another on a wild pitch from Junichi Tazawa, and the game was tied.
Ortiz’s 13th home run of the season, and league-leading 46th RBI, off Toronto reliever Gavin Floyd (2-3), gave the Red Sox another chance, but with the bullpen giving up a season-high six earned runs, it just was not their day.
“With the potency in our lineup, I feel like no lead is really big enough,” Martin said.
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB