AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
With a thrilling 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox secured their place in the American League Championship Series. Monday's Game 4 at Fenway Park was the final game of their AL Division Series. Enrique Hernandez scored the winning run in the ninth with a sacrifice fly that sealed the series.
Before that, Eduardo Rodriguez and Rafael Devers led the way for the victorious players. They won three consecutive games after dropping Game 1.
The Rays' comeback effort from falling behind 5-0 was not enough to win their AL title. This year, the Rays were seeded No. 1 in the playoffs.
Notable Player Stats
Rafael Devers, 3B and BOS: 1-for-4, 1 HR 3 RBI, 1 R
Eduardo Rodriguez, P, BOS: 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 6 K, 0 BB
Wander Franco, SS, TB: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R
Red Sox win with Big Inning and Late Rally
After Sunday's 13-inning marathon on Sunday, all eyes were on Monday's pitching contest.
They used nine pitchers for the last game, and Drew Rasmussen only got two innings. With the season in danger, they also used Luis Patino as a potential Game 4 starter. Collin McHugh was the opening batter for a bullpen game.
After a start with two shutout innings, McClanahan quickly lost any momentum when Boston struck out Shane McClanahan in his third. McClanahan was just one out from escaping a jam, when Devers launched a three run homer. Xander Bogaerts also singled, Alex Verdugo scored a run and J.D. drove in a run. Martinez added an RBI single.
It was instantly 5-0 and it felt as if the series was over thanks to one rally with two outs.
Tampa Bay should be proud of its bullpen, which included JT Chargois and Andrew Kittredge as well as Patino and Pete Fairbanks. They kept the team within striking distance after the disastrous third. Fairbanks did a great job entering the seventh inning with runners on the corners, but Bogaerts was able to instigate an inning-ending double play.
Kevin Kiermaier's incredible throw to retire the Verdugo tag at third was enough to help him work around an error in an eighth.
J.P. Feyereisen couldn't match his team's efforts in the ninth, and lost the series-winning run. Christian Vazquez began the game with a single. He moved to second on Christian Arroyo's bunt. Travis Shaw moved to third on an infield single. Hernandez scored on Hernandez's sacrifice fly, which allowed Tampa Bay to win the series.
Rays' Comeback Is Just Short
Tampa Bay was still in better shape than Boston going into Monday's game, even though Nathan Eovaldi had played five frames while Nick Pivetta, the presumed Game 4 starter, only went four.
The home team was left with a much younger bullpen than starter Rodriguez. It seemed that it would be necessary when Austin Meadows struck out in a thrilling at-bat in the second.
Rodriguez was willing to play a lot more than anyone could have expected from someone who had allowed two runs and two hits in 1.2 innings of Tampa Bay's win.
The southpaw pitched into sixth inning, striking out six and not allowing a walk. He not only missed bats but also avoided hard contact. The fifth inning saw him allow one run after a Jordan Luplow leadoff double.
Rodriguez was also charged with another run after he left with a runner on. Tanner Houck allowed Wander Franco to score a two-run homer, but he provided the Red Sox with exactly what they needed. It was a question of whether the bullpen could hold onto the lead Rodriguez staked on the Red Sox, and Houck's performance wasn't promising.
Ryan Brasier was not the eighth. He surrendered the lead by allowing Mike Zunino to score a double, Kiermaier to score a RBI double and Randy Arozarena to score a single. Boston was in dire straits, but Garrett Whitlock escaped the jam and threw a seven pitch ninth.
The Red Sox had to perform this performance in order to stop Tampa Bay's momentum.
What's next?
In the ALCS, the Red Sox will take on either the Houston Astros (or the Chicago White Sox).
