BOSTON (AP) — Kiké Hernández’s game-tying RBI azygous caromed disconnected the second-base container and into shallow halfway field, sparking a three-run, seventh-inning rally that carried the AL wild-card starring Boston Red Sox to an 8-6 triumph implicit the Baltimore Orioles Sunday and a expanse of their three-game series.
It was the 5th consecutive triumph for Boston, which leads Toronto by 1 crippled and the Yankees by 2 ½ successful the playoff chase. The Blue Jays bushed Minnesota, 5-3, connected Sunday and New York mislaid to Cleveland, 11-1.
READ MORE: Owings Mills Couple Charged In $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme
J.D. Martinez had a solo homer and Kevin Plawecki added a two-run azygous for the Red Sox.
“When it’s getting down to the extremity of the twelvemonth and you don’t person a large pb and each the games matter, it gets to beryllium a batch of fun,” Hernández said.
Trey Mancini had a three-run treble for the Orioles, who mislaid 12 of the last 13 meetings against the Red Sox aft sweeping a season-opening three-game series.
After giving up a two-run pb successful the apical of the seventh, Boston rallied against Conner Greene (1-1), getting the tying deed erstwhile Hernández’s grounder bounced disconnected the bag, scoring José Iglesias.
“That’s precisely what I was trying to do. That’s however I drew it up,” Hernández said, smiling. “I was a small spot blessed to get that deed and thrust successful that run.”
Hunter Renfroe followed with a treble precocious disconnected the Green Monster and scored connected Rafael Devers’ single, making it 8-6.
“We got a small spot fortunate with the shot disconnected the bag,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Then Hunter enactment connected a immense swing. … Overall, different bully win, obviously.”
The triumph could beryllium costly for the Red Sox aft reliever Garrett Whitlock walked disconnected the mound with close pectoral tightness. The 25-year-old Whitlock, a Rule 5 pickup from the Yankees, has been a beardown portion of their bullpen this season.
“We’ll cognize much (Monday),” Cora said of Whitlock. “It’s excessively soon to cognize what’s going on.”
Hirokazu Sawamura (5-1) was credited with the triumph contempt giving up a two-run pb successful the seventh. Garrett Richards got the last 3 outs for his 3rd save.
The Red Sox had jumped connected starter Alexander Wells for 3 runs with 2 outs successful the archetypal erstwhile Bobby Dalbec got deed by a transportation with the bases loaded and Plawecki followed with his grounder to right.
They opened it to 5-3 connected Martinez’s changeable into the archetypal enactment of Monster seats successful the third.
But the Orioles rallied against Sawamura aft Whitlock walked the leadoff batter, scoring 3 runs connected Mancini’s treble down the left-field enactment earlier they mislaid their large league-high 102nd game.
“This is huge, a immense magnitude of our squad hasn’t played a batch of clip successful the majors,” Mancini said. “The teams we’re competing with the remainder of the way, and person been fundamentally the full month, are warring for a playoff spot.”
Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi struck retired 8 implicit 5 innings, allowing 3 runs connected 7 hits with 1 walk. The Red Sox person won his past six starts.
“The main absorption is we’re winning these games,” Eovaldi said. “Things volition adjacent retired (for me).”
READ MORE: No Injuries Reported Following Partial Collapse Of Fells Point Restaurant
Making his sixth large league start, the 24-year-old Wells gave up 5 runs successful 5 innings.
“He gave 4 determination successful the archetypal mates of innings,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It was bully to spot him enactment up a zero successful the 4th and fifth. I was truly blessed with our offense.”
KEEP THE KID IN
When asked wherefore left-handed hitting slugger Kyle Schwarber wasn’t successful the lineup, Cora didn’t hesitate to explicate the decision.
“This is much astir Bobby Dalbec than thing else,” helium said. “Bobby has to play against each lefty.”
The 26-year-old Dalbec, a right-handed hitter, has 12 homers and 36 RBIs successful his past 33 games, overcoming early-season struggles that saw him hitting lone .174 with 1 homer and six RBIs a period into the season.
CHASING O’S HISTORY
CF Cedric Mullins needs 1 much location tally to go the archetypal successful Orioles’ past with 30 homers and 30 stolen bases.
IT FEELS RIGHT
It was the 5th consecutive crippled that the Red Sox faced a left-handed starter, and they’ve scored 7 oregon much runs successful each of those games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: INF Ramon Urías was scratched from the archetypal starting lineup with a close limb wounded that’s been nagging him for astir a month. “He tried to tally this morning, conscionable didn’t consciousness great,” Hyde said. … Mancini and C Pedro Severino were backmost successful the lineup aft having Saturday off.
Red Sox: Cora gave catcher Christian Vázquez the time off, figuring with an offday connected Monday that 2 consecutive would beryllium bully for him.
UP NEXT
Orioles: LHP John Means (5-7, 3.41 ERA) is slated to spell Monday nighttime erstwhile they unfastened a three-game, interleague bid astatine the Phillies.
Red Sox: Off Monday earlier opening a two-game, interleague bid against the New York Mets astatine Fenway Park connected Tuesday. Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (11-8, 5.00) is successful enactment to commencement the opener against RHP Marcus Stroman (9-12, 2.88).
(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed.)