Atlanta - 001 100 010 - 3 9 3 Red Sox - 000 010 021 - 4 12 0Winning ugly is still winning. Atlanta committed three careless errors in the final two innings (and a fourth one could easily have been called), including a missed catch error by second baseman Tommy La Stella which allowed Jackie Bradley to score the winning run off reliever Craig Kimbrel. The walk-off win gave Boston a sweep of the four-game interleague series. The Blue Jays lost to the Royals in ten innings, so the Red Sox picked up a game in the East.
Atlanta had fashioned a 3-1 lead against Jake Peavy (8-8-3-1-4, 111) going into the bottom of the eighth. That was when the visitors went to their bullpen, as Mike Minor (7-7-1-0-3, 113) departed. The first four Red Sox reached safely against David Carpenter. Brock Holt (who reached base four times) singled to left and kept going to second when Justin Upton misplayed the ball and allowed it to skip by him. Xander Bogaerts lined a single to right and there was no play at the plate as Holt cut the lead to 3-2. Dustin Pedroia chopped a ball up the middle. La Stella ranged to his right and muffed the ball; he actually tried to stop the ball with his bare right hand and not his glove. It probably should have been an error, but it was questionable whether any out could have been recorded. A.J. Pierzynski then lined a single to center, where the ball clanked off B.J. Upton's glove for an error, and Bogaerts scored the tying run.
Jonny Gomes struck out on three pitches and Atlanta brought in lefty Luis Avilan. Sizemore struck out for the second out. David Ortiz pinch-hit for Daniel Nava and after Avilan threw ball one, then decided to put him on intentionally, loading the bases for David Ross. Kimbrel had little trouble with the Boston catcher, as he retired Ross on a fly to left, with Boston stranding three.
Koji Uehara's first pitch in the top of the ninth was hit hard to right by Ryan Doumit for a single. Jordan Schafer pinch-ran and was bunted to second. With two chances to get him in, Atlanta failed. Andrelton Simmons grounded out to Bogaerts, who held the runner at second. Jason Heyward chased two high fastballs and struck out.
Kimbrel had serious trouble finding the strike zone in the home half of the ninth. Bradley walked on five pitches (bbcbb). Holt showed bunt three times, before also walking on five pitches (cbbbb). Bogaerts looked at a strike and fouled a pitch off before rapping a hot shot to third. Johnson gloved the ball and threw somewhat off-balance to second. The ball was catchable, but La Stella, who had myriad problems in the field during this series, did not catch it. The ball rolled towards short right field, and Bradley sprinted home with the winning run.
Holt singled twice, doubled, and walked; he drove in a run and scored once. Bogaerts had three hits for the second straight night.
Holt, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gomes, LF
Sizemore, RF
Lavarnway, 1B
Ross, C
Bradley, CF
2 comments:
What a night for Xander! And to top it off I think he broke .800 OPS.
From @EliasSports, Brock Holt and Xander Bogaerts were 1st pair of Red Sox rookies with 3+ hits in a game since Daubach and Nixon in 1999.
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