In a game eerily similar to Game 3 of the 2003 American League Division Series against the Oakland A's, eighteen years later the Sox got a lot of luck and timely extra inning home runs to knock off the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of this year's ALDS. The Red Sox broke out to a 4-2 lead going into the eighth inning thanks to the pitching of Nathan Eovaldi and thanks to the bats, notably Kyle Schwarber and the red hot Kike Hernandez. Hansel Robles gagged the game away in the top of the eighth and the Rays bullpen allowed just 1 run between the third and 13th inning. Shades of some lucky breaks in Game 3 in 2003 and a major flashback to Tony Clark in Game 5 in 2004 ALCS, in the top of the 13th inning Kevin Kiemaier hit a line drive off the wall, off of Hunter Renfroe and into the bullpen. Thanks to a hidden rule in the rule book, that was considered a ground rule double and Yandy Diaz had to stay at first. Nick Pivetta, in the process of tossing 4 shutout innings to earn the win, struck out Mike Zunino to end the threat and keep the game tied. In the bottom of the 13th, Christian Vazquez pulled the Trot Nixon by swatting a 2 run home run into the Monster Seats to take the game 6-4 at Fenway Park to move the Sox one game closer to the next round.
The Rays tagged Eovaldi right out of the gate in the top of the first inning although Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to start. Wander Franco singled to right but Austin Meadows hit a home run all the way to Neptune to put the Rays on top three batters into the game. Eovaldi responded by striking out both Nelson Cruz and Ji-Man Choi swinging to end the inning but the Rays were on top 2-0.
The Sox wasted no time getting back in the game as Kyle Schwarber took rookie Rays starter Drew Rasmussen deep two pitches into the bottom of the second. Kike Hernandez continued his hot streak with a base hit to left but Rafael Devers took strike three. Xander Bogaerts popped up to second and Alex Verdugo grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.
Eovaldi recovered in the top of the second inning to get Randy Arozarena swinging to start. Kevin Kiermaier walked but Mike Zunino struck out swinging. Joey Wendle also went down hacking to end the inning. JD Martinez tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to begin the bottom of the second but Hunter Renfroe flied out to left. Kevin Plawecki banged into a double play to end the inning.
Things didn't look good when Schwarber airmailed a throw to first on a routine grounder by Lowe for an error to start the top of the third. The Sox recovered as Franco forced Lowe at second, Meadows flied out to right and Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Christian Arroyo led off with a base hit to center to begin. Schwarber atoned for his error with a base hit to right and Hernandez drove home Arroyo with a base hit to center to tie the game and chase Rasmussen, Josh Fleming came in to pitch and Devers got a base hit to center to score Schwarber to give the Sox the lead. The game's direction turned as Bogaerts struck out swinging and Verdugo grounded out to first to chase Fleming. Andrew Kittredge came in to strike out Martinez swinging to end the inning. The Sox took the lead 3-2 but stranded 2 on with nobody out. The Sox would score just 1 run the next ten innings.
Eovaldi cruised in the top of the fourth with a little comedic value from Schwarber. Choi grounded out to first to start and Schwarber celebrated making the routine play much to the crowd's delight. Arozarena struck out swinging and Kiermaier lined out to center to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Renfroe lined a base hit to left to begin. Plawecki grounded into another double play but Arroyo got a single in the hole at short. Schwarber took strike three to end the inning.
Eovaldi returned for one last inning in the top of the fifth as Zunino lined out to left to start. Wendle doubled to left but Lowe lined out to center. Franco grounded out to first to end the inning. Eovaldi was done after just 85 pitches and taking him out of the game was the first bad move Sox manager Alex Cora made this game.
Pete Fairbanks came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Hernandez greeted him with a solo blast for Kike's seventh consecutive hit. Devers struck out swinging but Bogaerts walked. Verdugo swung and missed at strike three but the ball got away to allow Bogaerts to take second. Martinez lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.
Josh Taylor was first up out of the bullpen in the top of the sixth inning as Meadows grounded out to short to start. Cruz singled to left but Yandy Diaz pinch hit for Ji-Man Choi only to pop up to second. That was it for Taylor as Ryan Brasier came in to get Arozarena to ground back to the mound to end the inning. J.P. Feyereisen came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth inning and Renfroe singled to right to start. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Plawecki and dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Renfroe to second. The rally failed as Arroyo grounded out to third and Schwarber grounded out to second to end the inning.
Brasier returned for the top of the seventh and Kiermaier struck out swinging to start. Zunino grounded out to short and Sox manager Alex Cora brought in lefty Austin Davis to face pinch hitter Jordan Luplow. Luplow walked and Lowe lined out to a running Hernandez to end the inning. The Sox were just 6 outs from going to Game 4 with a lead in the series. Matt Wisler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hernandez lined out to third to start. Devers flied out to center and Meadows made a nice running grab of a Bogaerts liner to end the inning.
Hansel Robles was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and he crapped his pants. Franco hit a home run all the way to Neptune and Meadows followed with a double to center. Cruz was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Meadows moved to third on the play. Old Sox farmhand Manny Margot came in to run for Meadows but somehow Robles struck out Diaz swinging. Arozarena doubled to left to score Margot with the tying run and that was it for Robles. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to intentionally walk Kiermaier to get to the struggling Zunino. The Lock struck out Zunino looking to end the inning but the Rays had tied the game 4-4.
Verdugo lined out to center to start the bottom of the eighth but JT Chargois came in to pitch to Martinez. JD was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Renfroe walked. Vazquez popped up to second to end the inning.
The Lock returned for the top of the ninth and Luplow went down swinging to start. Lowe also went down hacking and Franco grounded out to first to end the inning. Boston had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth although Arroyo grounded out to third to start. Schwarber got a base hit to center and Bobby Dalbec was sent in to run for him. Unfortunately Hernandez struck out swinging and Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.
Nick Pivetta came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Margot greeted him with a base hit to left to start. Cruz flied out to center, Diaz flied out to left and Margot was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning. David Robertson came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and the Sox blew another chance to win the game. Bogaerts grounded out to short but Verdugo singled to left. Martinez flied out to center and Renfroe popped up to first to end the inning.
Arozarena walked to start the top of the 11th inning and stole second on the Kiermaier strike out. Zunino struck out swinging and Luplow took strike three to end the inning. Once again the Sox got a man on in the bottom of the 11th although Vazquez lined out to center to start. Arroyo doubled to left to put the winning run at second but Dalbec went down hacking and Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.
Pivetta cruised in the top of the 12th inning as the ice cold Lowe struck out swinging to start. Franco flied out to center and Margot struck out swinging to end the inning. Luis Patino came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Devers grounded back to the mound to start. Bogaerts hit one up the elevator shaft and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox had scored just 1 run since the third inning off the Rays bullpen.
The Sox got extremely lucky in the top of the 13th inning although Cruz struck out swinging to start. Diaz got a base hit to right but Arozarena lined out to left to set the stage for Kiermaier. Kevin hit a rocket that caromed off the wall, off of Renfroe and into the bullpen. The Rays argued that should be a triple and a run scored but it was ruled a ground rule double and the run did not score. Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the call but according to little known Rule 5.06 "any fair ball deflected by the fielder into the stands leads to the batter advancing two bases." In other words, its in the rule book as a ground rule double. Given new life, Pivetta struck out the ice cold Zunino swinging to end the inning. Gotta be lucky and good sometimes.
The Sox finally ended the festivities in the bottom of the 13th although Martinez flied out to center to start. Renfroe walked and Vazquez sent the first pitch he saw into the Monster Seats to end the game. The Sox had taken a 2 to 1 series lead with a 6-4 walkoff victory in Game 3.
We have Co-Heroes of the Night for this one. Hero number 1 is the unsung one, Nick Pivetta. Pivetta kept the Sox in the game with 4 shutout innings to earn the win.
Hero number 2 is a no-brainer, Christian Vazquez. Vazquez' walkoff home run won the game and put the Sox one game away from the ALCS.
The Good:
Kyle Schwarber was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.
Kike Hernandez was 3 for 6 with a home run and 2 total rbis.
Hunter Renfroe was 2 for 4 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Christian Arroyo was 3 for 5 with a run scored.
Nathan Eovaldi tossed 5 innings of 2 run ball to put the Sox in front.
Josh Taylor retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.
Ryan Brasier pitched a full scoreless inning,.
Austin Davis got the final out of the seventh inning.
Garrett Whitlock tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Bobby Dalbec struck out in his only plate appearance.
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 3 including 2 double plays.
Hansel Robles allowed 2 runs in the top of the eighth.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 6 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but walked.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
This was a game for the ages and it was a flashback to three separate games all rolled into one. It reminded us of Game 3 in 2003 against Oakland including the extra inning walkoff home run at Fenway. It reminded us of the Tony Clark ground rule double in Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS and the controversy from the Mookie Betts interference call in Houston. Even with all the drama, the Sox showed some serious balls to win this game. Tampa had been coming from behind to beat teams all year so to withstand their onslaught and still come out on top shows this team will run through a brick wall for Cora, despite his downright abuse of the bullpen. Eventually its going to bite Cora and it almost did in the regular season but so far so good as the Sox are now one win away from the ALCS. Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom is looking like a genius for trading washed up Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman for Pivetta (and Connor Seabold), stealing Whitlock from the Yankees and getting Schwarber for a Salem Red Sox prospect (Aldo Ramirez). It seems amazing that a team that wasn't expected to compete back in April could collapse in the second half and STILL get this far. Win or lose in the next two games, its been a hell of a season. Vazquez came off the bench to deliver the biggest hit of the season so far. The season could extend even longer if the Sox are able to take Game 4 tomorrow. Eduardo Rodriguez goes for the Sox looking to rebound from his Game 1 disaster against Collin McHugh of Tampa at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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