Even because the Red Sox confronted lengthy odds to make the playoffs as they entered September on Thursday – a 1 % likelihood, in accordance with FanGraphs – supervisor Alex Cora did his greatest to stay optimistic and even hoped for the seemingly inconceivable.
“Somebody texted me today, the Cardinals won 17 in a row last year in September,” Cora mentioned. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I like that.”
Then, the Red Sox pulled off the inconceivable.
Trailing three going into the ninth, the Red Sox roared again. They scored 4 occasions within the ninth, capped by Rob Refsnyder’s walk-off single to attain Rafael Devers as they got here again to stun the Rangers, 9-8.
The Red Sox regarded defeated – and Fenway was half-full going into the late innings – once they began their insane comeback with two runs within the eighth, fueled by an RBI double from Devers as he broke an 0-for-24 skid.
Then within the ninth, Devers pushed it over the end line. Down three, Tommy Pham and Alex Verdugo drew leadoff walks, Xander Bogaerts hit an infield single and Devers hit a two-run double to make it a one-run sport. Kiké Hernández adopted with the game-tying single, and two batters later, Refsnyder hit the game-winner down the left-field line.
Five days after his seven-inning masterpiece towards the Rays, Rich Hill took a step again. After issuing simply two walks over 4 begins since getting back from the injured listing, the lefty gave away 4 free passes over simply 4 innings as he dug the Red Sox an early gap.
Hill, working at a fast tempo once more, was spotless by means of two innings. But a leadoff stroll within the third to No. 9 hitter Bubba Thompson got here again to chunk him, as back-to-back singles from Marcus Semien and Corey Seager scored Thompson to provide the Rangers an early edge.
The Red Sox responded within the fourth, when Christian Arroyo carried his sizzling hitting into September. Alex Verdugo singled and Xander Bogaerts walked to guide off the inning earlier than shifting into scoring place with two outs after J.D. Martinez’s groundout. Then, Arroyo – who batted .326 with a .782 OPS in August – delivered once more, lining a two-run double down the right-field line. Arroyo rounded second earlier than returning to the bag for a celebratory dance, probably the most life the Red Sox appeared to point out all night time.
But their lead didn’t final lengthy, as Hill couldn’t lead a shutdown inning within the fifth. He allowed one other leadoff stroll, this time to Semien. Seager adopted with a game-tying RBI double, and after Nathaniel Lowe hit a first-pitch single, Hill’s night time was over with out finishing an out within the body.
John Schreiber got here on with runners on first and third, however Adolis Garcia scored the go-ahead run on a groundout earlier than one other stroll led to a different run as Mark Mathias’ single gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead.
Verdugo hit a solo residence run within the sixth – his first homer since Aug. 6 in Kansas City – to make it a one-run sport. But the Red Sox’ subpar bullpen put them in a deeper gap.
Zack Kelly, making his third profession look after impressing in his first two this week in Minnesota, couldn’t discover the strike zone within the seventh, when he issued back-to-back walks to load the bases. Kole Calhoun hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3 earlier than Kelly’s walks got here again to chunk him in unfortunate style, as back-to-back infield singles scored one other run.
Eduard Bazardo, chosen for one of many Red Sox’ additional roster spots, was requested to take the eighth and it didn’t go any higher as Garcia smoked a two-run homer to the Monster seats.
Source: www.bostonherald.com