The Red Sox bullpen wanted some assistance on Saturday evening and Alex Verdugo answered the decision.
After the bullpen struggled behind one other robust begin from rookie Kutter Crawford, Verdugo tied the sport with an RBI single within the backside of the eighth and received it with a two-run single within the tenth because the Red Sox walked off on the Yankees for a 6-5 win at Fenway Park.
It snapped a four-game shedding streak after the Sox misplaced the primary two to the Yankees after shedding the ultimate two video games towards the Rays earlier within the week.
The takeaways:
1. Verdugo saves the ‘pen.
When the Yankees had seen sufficient from left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery, who went 5-2/3 innings and allowed two runs, they turned to Michael King, who ranks second within the majors in reduction innings and strikeouts this yr.
When the Sox had seen sufficient from Kutter Crawford, who went 5 innings and allowed one run, they turned to Ryan Brasier, one of many hardest-hit relievers in baseball this yr.
And when the sport was tied within the tenth, the Sox turned to Jake Diekman, who gave up two runs on a pair of doubles by Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo.
To shut it down within the backside of the tenth, the Yankes turned to Wandy Peralty, who entered with a 1.99 ERA.
It seemed just like the Yanks’ pen can be the distinction maker, however Verdugo discovered a option to get it carried out.
It began within the eighth, when J.D. Martinez doubled off King, then Holmes walked Xander Bogaerts and allowed an RBI single to Verdugo to tie the sport, 3-3.
And after the Yankees scored two off Diekman within the tenth, Rob Refsnyder began the underside of the inning with a single. Two batters later, Jeter Downs collected his first main league hit on a dribbler by the best aspect of the infield. And with two outs, Verdugo roped a line drive to proper area to deliver two runs house and ship Fenway Park into a celebration.
It was simply the second walk-off win for the Red Sox, who improved to 5-6 in further innings this yr.
The bullpen will get some blame, however Crawford was sensational.
Spotting the black together with his cutter and transferring his mid-90s fastball round with ease, he struck out six over 5 robust innings, permitting only one run on a solo homer by Aaron Hicks. It was a dangling changeup that Hicks deposited into the right-field bullpen, and it was maybe Crawford’s lone mistake.
Given the Red Sox have used rookie pitchers to begin six of their final eight video games — and Crawford struck out eight over 5-1/3 scoreless innings of reduction in one of many different two video games — the Sox should be impressed with their younger arms.
It wasn’t till Brasier took over that the Yankees began making loud contact with regularity. They hit three line drives to attain two runs off Brasier within the sixth, after they took a 3-1 lead.
Matt Strahm, John Schreiber and Tanner Houck mixed to throw 3-2/3 scoreless innings out of reduction.
2. Red Sox are struggling defensively.
In a variety of methods, it’s beginning to really feel like final August.
With an imperfect roster that has a number of gamers out of place, it’s been an journey watching the Red Sox attempt to catch the baseball. Saturday was no totally different.
For the third straight day, a Sox defender moved to a place he doesn’t play typically and dropped a routine flyball.
This time it was Bobby Dalbec, who was developed as a 3rd baseman however has performed first base virtually solely within the massive leagues. Playing third whereas Rafael Devers recovers from a again harm, Dalbec misplaced a flyball off the bat off Matt Carpenter and let it drop within the fourth inning. But Carpenter mistakenly tried to take second and Dalbec rapidly threw him out to finish the inning.
The Sox weren’t so fortunate within the sixth, when Jarren Duran took a foul route in the direction of a Rizzo line drive into right-center. Duran, who was drafted as a second baseman and has been slowly making progress as a middle fielder, zig-zagged on his means into a clumsy dive because the ball bounced beneath his glove and rolled behind him. It wasn’t an error, nevertheless it price the Sox massive time as Gleyber Torres scored from first and Rizzo made it to second, finally scoring on a single by Josh Donaldson.
The solely defensive spotlight for the Sox got here by way of Kevin Plawecki, who lastly threw out an tried base-stealer. Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka tried his first profession stolen base within the fifth inning, however Plawecki threw him out by a hair. Base-stealers had beforehand been 15-for-15 towards Plawecki this yr after going 37-for-40 towards him in 2021.
3. Rob Refsnyder stays scorching.
The 31-year-old journeyman outfielder is enjoying maybe his greatest baseball ever whereas in a Red Sox uniform.
After a four-hit evening on Friday, Refsnyder was again in there on the leadoff spot and as soon as once more made his presence felt, this time with a solo shot that cleared every thing in left area and ended up someplace on Lansdowne Street.
His sixth-inning house run reduce the Yankees’ result in 3-2 and gave the Sox some hope. It marked his third homer of the season, which set a career-high. He’s performed in 21 video games for the Sox this yr; his career-high is 58 video games for the 2016 Yankees. The Yankees initially drafted him within the fifth spherical in 2012.
He additionally singled within the tenth to push the ghost runner to 3rd base and begin the rally.
Source: www.bostonherald.com