Final, Red Sox 10-7: Koji Uehara surrendered a home run in the ninth inning but then shut the door.
The Red Sox rebounded from an extra-inning loss Friday to take down the Astros 10-7 on Saturday. David Ortiz was an absolute stud.
Ortiz went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double and six RBIs. He exited the field to chants of “Papi! Papi! Papi” after being lifted for a pinch-runner in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ortiz treated the Fenway Faithful to a curtain call.
Ortiz’s first home run in the third inning was a mammoth blast to center field. It was his 400th home run as a member of the Red Sox.
The slugger’s second homer — also a two-run shot — was hooked right down near Pesky’s Pole in the fifth inning.
Daniel Nava collected three hits and two RBIs. Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli each produced two hits. The Red Sox finished with 13 hits total.
Alex Wilson and Burke Badenhop were sensational in relief. Wilson, who tossed 2 1/3 perfect innings, earned the win after a disappointing start by Rubby De La Rosa.
The Red Sox have taken two of the teams’ first three games. They’ll close out their four-game set Sunday with a matinee showdown.
End 8th, Red Sox 10-6: David Ortiz, have a game.
Ortiz, who already had two home runs, drilled a two-run double into the gap with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. He then was lifted for a pinch-runner, capping a six-RBI night for the nine-time All-Star.
Jackie Bradley Jr. singled, Brock Holt walked and Dustin Pedroia also singled en route to loading the bases for Big Papi. Pedroia just missed a home run down the left field line before settling for a base hit.
Yoenis Cespedes added an RBI single in the eighth inning.
It’s now Koji time! And the Red Sox have a lot more breathing room thanks to No. 34.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 7-6: The Red Sox have received some very good relief work.
First, Alex Wilson tossed 2 1/3 perfect innings. Burke Badenhop then completed 1 2/3 spotless frames.
Badenhop, who recorded the final two outs of the seventh inning, tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Gregorio Petit, Robbie Grossman and Jose Altuve went down in order.
Dustin Pedroia made an excellent play to cap the top of the eighth. Altuve hit a rocket that Pedroia caught while lunging near the lip of the outfield grass.
End 7th, Red Sox 7-6: Daniel Nava has three hits.
Nava singled into left-center field with two outs in the seventh inning. He’s now 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Red Sox couldn’t capitalize on Nava’s two-out knock, though. Xander Bogaerts popped out to end the inning.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 7-6: Red Sox manager John Farrell heaped praise on Tommy Layne before the game. The left-hander responded with somewhat of a clunker.
Layne entered after Alex Wilson recorded the first out of the seventh inning. He surrendered a single to Jason Castro, uncorked a wild pitch and walked Jon Singleton.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, Burke Badenhop preserved the one-run lead.
Badenhop retired Jake Marisnick on a 5-4 forceout. Brock Holt made an excellent pick at third base before firing to second for the out.
Marwin Gonzalez flied out to right field to end the inning.
Wilson was perfect in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
End 6th, Red Sox 7-6: The Red Sox were unable to carry their offensive momentum into the sixth inning.
Brock Holt, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz went down consecutively against Kevin Chapman.
Holt and Ortiz put the ball on the ground. Pedroia struck out.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 7-6: Alex Wilson has done a nice job since entering.
Wilson worked his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. Robbie Grossman, Jose Altuve and Chris Carter went down in order.
Grossman led off with a fly ball toward the left field corner. Yoenis Cespedes ranged over to make an interesting grab. Cespedes was off-balance while catching it, as the ball seemed to drift back toward fair territory after initially looking like it was destined for the seats.
End 5th, Red Sox 7-6: David Ortiz hit his 400th home run as a member of the Red Sox back in the third inning. In the fifth inning, he smacked No. 401.
The two home runs certainly were much different in nature. While Ortiz’s first homer of the game was crushed into the center field bleachers, his second homer landed just inside Pesky’s Pole.
Ortiz’s fifth-inning home run wouldn’t have been a home run in any ballpark other than Fenway.
Ortiz’s blast followed a leadoff single from Brock Holt. Holt extended his hit streak to 10 games, though his average actually has dropped in that span.
Yoenis Cespedes reached due to some miscommunication by the Astros’ infield. A pop-up clanked off first baseman Jon Singleton’s glove, enabling Cespedes to scamper into second base.
The Astros turned to their bullpen at that point, calling upon Josh Fields to replace starter Brad Peacock.
Cespedes stole third base with Mike Napoli batting. Napoli walked to put runners at the corners.
Daniel Nava, who doubled home Boston’s first run back in the second inning, tied the game 6-6 with a single into left field.
Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Jackie Bradley Jr. then smoked a line drive to deep center field. Dexter Fowler retreated to make the catch, but Napoli tagged up and scored the go-ahead run.
The Red Sox scored four runs — two earned, two unearned — in the fifth inning before all was said and done.
Mid 5th, Astros 6-3: Alex Wilson calmed things down after Rubby De La Rosa’s lackluster start.
Wilson entered and retired the side in order in the fifth. He threw just 13 pitches (10 strikes) while taking care of Jake Marisnick, Marwin Gonzalez and Gregorio Petit.
The top of the Red Sox’s order is due up in the bottom of the fifth.
End 4th, Astros 6-3: Brad Peacock settled down in the fourth.
The bottom third of Boston’s order — Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Christian Vazquez — failed to start anything.
Bogaerts and Vazquez both struck out. Bradley grounded out.
Rubby De La Rosa’s night is over after four terrible innings. De La Rosa allowed six earned runs on nine hits and four walks. He threw 89 pitches.
Alex Wilson will be the new Boston pitcher.
Mid 4th, Astros 6-3: It’s been a long night for Rubby De La Rosa.
Jose Altuve led off with a single into left field. De Le Rosa has allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in all four innings.
Altuve, who had been successful in 46 of 52 stolen-base attempts, was gunned down trying to swipe second. Christian Vazquez delivered a throw right on the money.
Chris Carter made sure Houston extended its lead, though. He drilled a home run — his 29th of the season — off the light tower in left-center field.
The Astros have scored in all four innings to this point.
End 3rd, Astros 5-3: David Ortiz hit his 400th home run as a member of the Red Sox in the third inning.
Dustin Pedroia led off with a rocket into center field. Pitcher Brad Peacock tossed up his glove but stood no chance.
Ortiz crushed an 0-2 pitch into the center field bleachers. He fouled off three straight offerings before demolishing a 79 mph changeup.
The home run was the 458th of Ortiz’s career. It was his 27th of the season.
Mike Napoli added a single before Peacock closed off the inning by getting Daniel Nava to ground into a double play.
Mid 3rd, Astros 5-1: Rubby De La Rosa has been so good this season. But he simply doesn’t have it in this game.
De La Rosa issued a leadoff walk to Jason Castro in the third inning. The right-hander settled down to induce a forceout and a popout, but he quickly fell back into trouble when Marwin Gonzalez singled with two outs.
Gregorio Petit, who scored the game-tying run in the eighth inning of Friday’s game, ripped a two-run double into the left field corner.
End 2nd, Astros 3-1: The Red Sox hopped on the scoreboard in the second inning behind an RBI double from Daniel Nava.
Mike Napoli singled with one out. Nava then took aim at the left-center field gap, scoring Napoli from first base.
Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez sandwiched Jackie Bradley Jr.’s flyout with a pair of walks, loading the bases for Brock Holt.
Holt grounded to second base to end the threat.
Mid 2nd, Astros 3-0: It’s been a rough start to this game for Rubby De La Rosa.
The Astros went right back to work in the second inning. Marwin Gonzalez led off with a single into center field.
De La Rosa struck out Gregorio Petit, but Robbie Grossman walked and Jose Altuve singled into left field to load the bases with one out.
De La Rosa, to his credit, minimized the damage, as Houston’s only run of the inning scored on Chris Carter’s sacrifice fly to right-center field. But De La Rosa already has thrown 53 pitches amid his shakiness.
End 1st, Astros 2-0: Brad Peacock breezed through his first inning.
Brock Holt, who is riding a nine-game hit streak, nearly extended his streak in his first at-bat. He lined a bullet to first base that Jon Singleton leaped into the air to grab.
Dustin Pedroia lined out to left field and David Ortiz struck out swinging.
Peacock sat down Ortiz on three pitches, dialing it up to 94 mph on his third offering.
Mid 1st, Astros 2-0: Rubby De La Rosa allowed two runs in his previous two starts combined. He allowed two runs in the first inning of this one.
Robbie Grossman, who smacked a home run Friday, led off with a walk. He took second base when Jose Altuve grounded to third base.
Chris Carter and Dexter Fowler produced back-to-back singles to put Houston on top 1-0. De La Rosa then issued his second walk of the inning to Jason Castro.
The second run scored on a slow roller in the infield. The Astros didn’t exactly knock the ball around Fenway in the first inning, but they got the job done.
Jake Marisnick, who was Friday’s hero, ended the inning with a fly ball to center field.
7:12 p.m.: Rubby De La Rosa misses with his first pitch of the contest.
6:43 p.m.: Dustin Pedroia exited Friday’s game after fouling a ball off his right foot. The injury isn’t enough to keep Pedroia out of Saturday’s starting lineup, though.
Pedroia will play second base and bat second despite still being a little sore upon arriving at the ballpark Saturday. Kelly Johnson replaced Pedroia in the ninth inning of Friday’s game and made the final out in the 10th.
Brock Holt will play third base Saturday. The outfield will consist of Yoenis Cespedes (left field), Jackie Bradley Jr. (center field) and Daniel Nava (right field).
Saturday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (55-66)
Brock Holt, 3B
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Christian Vazquez, C
Rubby De La Rosa, RHP (4-4, 3.21 ERA)
Houston Astros (51-72)
Robbie Grossman, LF
Jose Altuve, 2B
Chris Carter, DH
Dexter Fowler, CF
Jason Castro, C
Jon Singleton, 1B
Jake Marisnick, RF
Marwin Gonzalez, SS
Gregorio Petit, 3B
Brad Peacock, RHP (3-8, 5.25 ERA)
6:15 p.m. ET: The Boston Red Sox rode a four-game winning streak into Friday’s clash with the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. They came away scratching their heads.
The Red Sox dropped a 5-3 decision in 10 innings after a strange play in the eighth inning allowed the Astros to tie the game 3-3. Jake Marisnick ultimately delivered the punishing blow — a two-run double in the 10th — en route to snapping the Red Sox’s four-game run.
Rubby De La Rosa will look to put Boston back in the win column Saturday. He’s been excellent of late — for most of the season, really — and he’ll look to continue his success at the friendly confines. De La Rosa, who has posted back-to-back solid road starts, is 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA in five starts at Fenway this season.
De La Rosa has held opponents to three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts, a span in which he owns a 2.94 ERA. The right-hander lasted seven-plus innings and matched a season-high with eight strikeouts in his last start Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels.
De La Rosa will square off with Brad Peacock on Saturday. The game’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., so be sure to plan accordingly.
