Baseball
His clutch homer within the eighth lifted Boston to its eighth win in 9 video games.
COMMENTARY
A day after convincingly thumping the Athletics, the Crimson Sox needed to work a lot more durable to grind out Sunday’s sequence finale.
In the long run, the end result was the identical, as they discovered a method to safe the sweep. Boston rallied from a two-run deficit to earn a 4-3 victory at Fenway Park. Masataka Yoshida’s well timed solo homer over the Inexperienced Monster within the eighth was finally the distinction.
The Crimson Sox (48-43) head into the All-Star break winners of 5 straight and eight of their final 9. They’ve baseball’s finest since document since June 14 (15-8) and are 5 video games above .500 for the primary time since late Might.
This one wasn’t picturesque, however it didn’t need to be, as they outlasted the Athletics (25-67) in a sport that didn’t begin out of their favor.
“It was a troublesome sport at present,” reliever Joely Rodriguez stated, by means of a translator. “It wasn’t like the primary two video games we had within the sequence. It was good to have the ability to come away with a win.”
Listed here are 4 takeaways from the sequence finale:
Masataka Yoshida was the person of the hour.
Yoshida scored the tying run and delivered the profitable run, coming by means of within the clutch for a workforce that wanted a carry.
His homer got here on a excessive fastball. He stated it might have been a fly out, however as a substitute, he managed to get simply sufficient.
“That was superior,” Yoshida stated, by means of a translator. “I feel that’s the perfect end result I might have considered.”
He has seven-straight multi-hit video games (.529 common) – the longest streak within the majors this season – and now has 10 homers on the season.
Yoshida, has been nearly as good as marketed, after which some, and his heroics Sunday have been merely the most recent instance.
“That scenario is de facto vital and severe, so I used to be pleased,” Yoshida stated.
The Crimson Sox began slowly.
Lengthy earlier than Yoshida’s clutch dinger, Boston scored one within the first, on a sacrifice fly from Adam Duvall that plated Rob Refsnyder, however didn’t register successful off starter JP Sears till the fifth inning.
Sears tossed 5 innings, permitting solely a double to Justin Turner whereas putting out 4. He did stroll three and hit two, however the Crimson Sox couldn’t capitalize on the miscues.
Oakland, in the meantime, scored within the first off Tayler Scott, the second off Chris Murphy, and the fifth off Josh Winckowski to construct a 3-1 edge.
Supervisor Alex Cora blended and matched all afternoon, and it labored properly sufficient to maintain the Crimson Sox within the sport. Even after they have been down, it by no means felt as if they have been out of it. They simply wanted a break.
They rallied to tie it within the sixth.
As quickly as Sears departed, the Crimson Sox pounced on right-handed reliever Paul Blackburn. Duvall blasted a solo shot over the Monster to slice it to 1, extending his hitting streak to 4 video games and reaching 500 profession RBIs.
Yoshida then blooped a single to middle, stole second, and hustled to 3rd on an errant throw. Christian Arroyo introduced him residence on a well-struck double that soared over the right-fielder’s head.
Arroyo has 15 extra-base hits in his final 30 video games after recording three in his first 22 video games.
Abruptly, after wanting nearly lifeless by means of 5, the Crimson Sox have been proper again within the sport.
They saved the momentum rolling.
Rodriguez, a left-hander who entered with an 18.00 ERA in restricted motion, got here in with runners on first and second and no outs within the seventh.
Cora famous that he hit 93 on his fastball for the primary time this season, and his two strikeouts got here at a pivotal juncture. He calmly retired the facet and screamed with conviction as he strutted off the mound.
“It means loads to me,” Rodriguez stated. “It’s a really big day.”
The Crimson Sox went down quietly within the seventh, profitable pitcher Chris Martin (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth, then Yoshida dug deep to seek out some magic.
All-Star nearer Kenley Jansen earned his nineteenth save – with some assist from Connor Wong, who gunned a runner out at second – and that was that.
The Crimson Sox are actually only one sport behind the Yankees for the ultimate Wild Card spot – a actuality few followers would have thought potential earlier within the season. Cora is inspired by what he’s seen, however he isn’t able to make any daring declarations simply but.
“It’s an excellent feeling, however we’ve obtained work to do,” Cora stated. “We’re nonetheless final within the American League East.”
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