Red Sox 10, Tigers 3: Framber Valdez is a spineless scoundrel

“We play a really good brand of baseball here. That didn’t feel like it. I’m not judging intent. But I know when you go out on the field in those confrontations, you usually feel like you are in your right. It didn’t feel good being out there.” When your own skipper is throwing you under the bus, that really says it all!

**Three Studs**

**Ceddanne Rafaela:**3-4 with four RBI including this first inning home run to set the tone. View Link **Wilyer Abreu:**Also 3-4 with a home run. Here’s his blast: View Link **Brayan Bello:** I have to give credit where credit is due. As much as I’ve hated watching Bello pitch this season, he did his job tonight covering the middle seven innings to the tune of just one earned run, and perhaps more importantly, just one walk. It will be interesting to see what the team does from here because unlike tonight, it appears they’re going to have options.

**Bonus Stud**

**Alec Gamboa:**Made his major league debut in the ninth inning and sent the Tigers down in order. Here’s his first career strikeout and his family’s family elated reaction. This stuff never gets old (and by the way is also another one of those reasons why baseball is the best game)!

**Three Duds**

**Jarren Duran:**0-5 with three strikeouts. **Isiah Kiner-Falefa:**0-4 from the bottom of the lineup. His OPS is down to .449. **Jovani Moran:** His opening inning looked a lot like most of Brayan Bello’s starts this year, giving up a pair of runs on a pair of walks and three hits. However, this was one of the RARE games where it didn’t really matter what the starting pitcher did. Looking ahead, Sonny Gray is due to come off the IL tomorrow evening and face off against Jack Flaherty, who has gotten rocked in each of his last two starts. I would say this puts the Sox in a great position to sweep the Tigers, but if today taught us anything, it’s that baseball games aren’t played on paper. Oh, and that Framber Valdez is a spineless scoundrel. We got a front row seat for that lesson.