Red Sox - 000 010 040 - 5 5 2 Reds - 100 020 100 - 4 9 0The Red Sox won their 11th game of the season in which they trailed going into the eighth inning*. Mookie Betts tied the game with a three-run double and scored the go-ahead run (from second base) on an infield by Rafael Devers, who had homered in the fifth. Boston has won six straight games, nine of their last 10, and 14 of their last 17.
*: By comparison, the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers have won eight, and Cleveland and the Nationals have won six.
The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 9-5, so Boston has a five-game lead in the AL East with seven games left. The Red Sox's Magic Number for clinching the division is now 3, and they can do that as early as Tuesday night.
Doug Fister (5.1-9-3-0-9, 86) allowed a first-inning run, but kept the game at 1-0 until Devers tied it with a solo home run in the fifth. The Reds took a 3-1 lead with two outs in the bottom half. Jackie Bradley committed a throwing error on Jackson Stephens's single to short center. That scored one run and then Stephens scored on Billy Hamilton's triple into the right-field corner. Hamilton also scored in the seventh. He walked and, after being caught in a rundown when Brandon Workman tried to pick him off, raced around the bases and scored when Dustin Pedroia made an errant throw.
In the eighth, Christian Vazquez walked and Xander Bogaerts singled to left. Raisel Iglesias (who has eight six-out saves this year) came in from the pen and got Pedroia to ground back to the mound, but the runners advanced to second and third. Andrew Benintendi walked. Betts cleared the bases with a double to left-center, tying the game at 4-4. Mitch Moreland fouled to first. Devers hit a roller to third. Eugenio Suarez's throw to first was a bit off-target, forcing Joey Votto to dive towards the outfield. Devers was safe and Betts alertly sprinted to the plate to give Boston the lead. Betts has 21 RBI in his last 14 games - and 99 for the season.
Addison Reed pitched a perfect eighth, striking out two, and Craig Kimbrel pitched a clean ninth, getting a called third strike on Jesse Winker to end the game.
Kimbrel has not allowed a run in his last 11 appearances (11 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 19 K). He has 122 strikeouts this season, the most ever by a Red Sox reliever not named Dick Radatz (who fanned 144 in 1962, 162 in 1963, and 181 in 1964). When Radatz followed those three years with 121 strikeouts in 1965, he did it in 124.1 innings; Kimbrel got the same number of Ks this year in 66 innings.
Red Sox relievers have not allowed a run in their last 21.2 innings. In the team's current 14-3 stretch, the bullpen has a 1.11 ERA (nine earned runs in 73 innings; 95 strikeouts).
With only seven home games remaining on the schedule, Boston finished its road schedule with a 45-36 record. In the previous 32 seasons (since 1985), the Red Sox have won as many as 45 road games only five other times: 45 in 1999, 51 in 2002, 45 in 2007, 45 in 2011, and 46 in 2016.
The Red Sox's eight extra-inning wins on the road (against only two losses) tied the franchise record set in 1956. Overall, the Red Sox have also won each of their last seven extra-inning games, their longest season streak since winning seven straight in 1972. The 1938 team won its first eight extra-inning games.
The Red Sox finished with a 16-4 record against the National League. In the 21 years since the introduction of interleague games, Boston has won 15+ games only twice (16-2 in 2006).
The Red Sox (91-64) have won 90+ games in 13 of the last 20 seasons, which is tied with the Yankees for the most 90+-win seasons during that time.
A note from yesterday: Reds pitcher Luke Farrell pitched the ninth inning against the Red Sox. Elias says it was the first time in major league history that a pitcher appeared in a game against a team managed by his father. However, that is only pitchers. ... ESPN's Scott Lauber notes that Moises Alou of the Cubs played against the Giants (managed by Felipe Alou) in 2004.
Bogaerts, SSMFY Watch: The Yankees remain 4 GB. The Red Sox's Magic Number to clinch the AL East is 5.
Pedroia, 2B
Benintendi, LF
Betts, RF
Moreland, 1B
Devers, 3B
Bradley, CF
Leon, C
Fister, P
1 comment:
Time for some home cooking! Plus, my guess for 95 wins in the JoS contest is looking good (though someone with the same guess has an ERA closer to what Sale has right now).
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