What a difference a month makes.
On August 4th, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Joe Kelly was in the depths of despair, nursing a bloated 6.11 ERA while receiving criticism from every corner of Red Sox Nation for his incompetence on the mound, many calling for him to move to the bullpen and permanently relinquish his starting duties.
Flash forward to September 4th, and Kelly is the toast of the town, having won seven consecutive starts with Boston while regaining the confidence of the organization and its fans.
Kelly (W, 9-6) showcased his talents once again on Friday night, pitching six innings of five-hit, two-run ball while leading his team to a 7-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game set at Fenway Park. The right-hander struck out five on the night, decreasing his ERA to 4.84.
Starter Adam Morgan was dealt the loss for the scuffling Phillies, who fell to 29 games behind .500 with the loss. In 6.1 innings, Morgan was charged with six runs on eight hits, striking out six batters while walking two.
Center fielder Mookie Betts went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and right fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. homered for the Red Sox, just four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for third place in the AL East.
For Philadelphia, right fielder Aaron Altherr went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run while center fielder Odubel Herrera went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in the ninth inning.
The Red Sox jumped ahead instantly against Morgan, as Betts led off the bottom of the first inning with a double, followed by a single by second baseman Brock Holt and an RBI single by Bogaerts, scoring the game's first run.
Philadelphia stole the advantage in the top of the fourth inning, however, as Kelly ran into his only predicament of the game. After second baseman Cesar Hernandez reached on an infield single to begin the stanza, Altherr was hit by a pitch. The tandem reached scoring position on a groundout by Ryan Howard.
An RBI groundout by left fielder Darnell Sweeney then tied up the ballgame, which preceded an RBI infield single to shortstop by first baseman Darin Ruf, giving the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
This deficit did not last long for the Red Sox, however, as the regained control of the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning. After catcher Ryan Hanigan singled and Bradley Jr. walked to kick off the inning, Betts smoked an RBI double to right center, knotted up the game at two runs apiece.
Holt then smacked an RBI sacrifice fly to center, scoring Betts and giving Boston a one-run lead they would not relinquish.
This advantage ballooned in the bottom of the seventh inning, as, facing Morgan, Bradley Jr. deposited a one-out offering 429-feet into the center field bleachers for a solo home run. After Betts and Holt reached base, Phillies reliever Jeanmar Gomez stepped in for Morgan, the trouble only increasing from there.
An RBI fielder's choice hit into by Bogaerts scored Betts, preceding a monstrous RBI double by designated hitter David Ortiz off of the top of the center field wall. Third baseman Travis Shaw then knocked a single to right that scored Big Papi on a fielding error by Ruf, increasing the Red Sox advantage to an insurmountable 7-2.
Philadelphia fought back in the ninth inning against Boston closer Jean Machi, however, making things interesting for the fans still in attendance. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Machi surrendered a single to shortstop Freddy Galvis, which paved the way for a 392-foot line drive of a two-run home run to right off of the bat of Herrera.
Hernandez then singled and scored on a Altherr RBI double to cut the Red Sox lead to just 7-5, and Boston manager Torey Lovullo was forced to insert reliever Robbie Ross Jr. into the game with Howard representing the tying run at the plate.
The former NL MVP was set down on strikes, however, sending Ross Jr. home with his first save of the season and providing Boston with a close shave of a victory.