Final, Red Sox 3-2: Koji Uehara shut the door despite allowing a baserunner in the ninth inning.
Chris Heisey reached with one out on a ground ball into the hole. Xander Bogaerts made a backhanded stop and delivered a jumping, off-balance throw, but Heisey easily reached with an infield single.
Uehara made sure the hit didn’t cost him. He retired Ramon Santiago and Zack Cozart to end the ballgame. Santiago flied out to right field, and Cozart popped out to catcher Christian Vazquez in foul territory.
The big hit in this game was delivered by Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes absolutely crushed a two-run homer off Jonathan Broxton in the eighth inning.
Broxton buzzed Cespedes up and in with his first pitch. His second pitch was destroyed. Cespedes sent it well over the center field wall.
Xander Bogaerts had an encouraging night offensively, collecting two hits, including an RBI single that put Boston on the scoreboard in the seventh inning. Brock Holt set the table for Cespedes’ two-run homer with a base hit.
Joe Kelly didn’t factor into the decision but overcame a very shaky first inning for six solid frames. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits over six innings in his second start in a Red Sox uniform. He struck out four, walked three and threw 103 pitches (57 strikes).
Tommy Layne earned the victory for Boston.
The Red Sox and Reds will be back in action Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. ET.
Click to see Yoenis Cespedes’ clutch home run >>
Mid 9th, Red Sox 3-2: The Reds benefited from an overturned call in the top of the ninth inning.
Xander Bogaerts led off with a chopper to short. Zack Cozart made the play but struggled to grip the baseball. His throw wasn’t in time, and Bogaerts reached with an infield single.
Christian Vazquez grounded to second base. Ramon Santiago had a hard time getting the ball out of his glove, leading to a bang-bang play at first base on the Reds’ double play attempt. Vazquez initially was called safe but the ruling was overturned after Cincinnati challenged it.
Jumbo Diaz retired Will Middlebrooks on a ground ball to second base to end the inning.
Koji Uehara now enters with Boston leading by a run.
End 8th, Red Sox 3-2: Tommy Layne and Edward Mujica combined for a scoreless eighth inning.
Layne retired Billy Hamilton and Jay Bruce. Hamilton and Bruce scattered a couple of fly balls to center field and left field.
Mujica entered and issued a two-out walk to Todd Frazier. Mujica missed with three straight pitches just off the outside corner after jumping ahead in the count 1-2.
Devin Mesoraco, who has three hits in the game, popped out to catcher Christian Vazquez behind the plate to end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr. entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth. He took over in center field while Brock Holt shifted to right field. Daniel Nava exited.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 3-2: Yoenis Cespedes clubbed a clutch home run in the eighth inning for the second straight game.
Cespedes hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform Sunday, lifting Boston to a 3-1 victory with a three-run blast. In the eighth inning of this game, Cespedes gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead with a two-run shot.
Brock Holt led off the eighth with a single into right field against Jonathan Broxton. Broxton retired Dustin Pedroia on a line drive to right and David Ortiz on a chopper to first.
The Reds couldn’t turn two on Ortiz’s bouncer because first baseman Brayan Pena’s momentum caused him to stumble upon making the play.
Broxton started off Cespedes with some 95 mph chin music. The big righty then went back to the fastball in a 1-0 count, and Cespedes crushed it well over the center field wall.
End 7th, Reds 2-1: Burke Badenhop and Tommy Layne combined for a scoreless seventh inning.
Badenhop recorded the first two outs. Ramon Santiago hit a line drive right at David Ortiz, and Zack Cozart grounded to second base.
Skip Schumaker pinch-hit for pitcher Mat Latos, at which point John Farrell called upon Layne. Layne won the lefty-lefty matchup, retiring Schumaker on a ground ball to short.
Joe Kelly allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out four and threw 103 pitches (57 strikes).
Mid 7th, Reds 2-1: The Red Sox finally broke through against Mat Latos in the seventh inning.
Daniel Nava led off with a line drive into the left-center field gap. Nava took a wide turn around second base but tossed on the brakes and settled for his ninth double of 2014.
Xander Bogaerts knocked in the game’s first run. He ripped a line drive into left field that plated Nava from second base.
Christian Vazquez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Bogaerts, who represented the tying run, into scoring position. The offense faltered.
Will Middlebrooks gave one a ride to left field. Chris Heisey retreated to make a catch on the warning track.
Mike Napoli pinch-hit for pitcher Joe Kelly with two outs. He put up a good at-bat but ultimately chased a 3-2 slider — the eighth pitch of the at-bat — for an inning-ending strikeout.
End 6th, Reds 2-0: Joe Kelly overcame a lackluster first inning in his last start to complete seven frames. The right-hander has provided a similar outing in this contest.
Kelly, who allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in the first, has made it through six innings. He worked through a one-out double in the sixth.
Devin Mesoraco drilled a line drive into the left field corner with one out. The All-Star catcher has three hits, raising his average to .301.
Kelly took care of Brayan Pena and Chris Heisey to end the inning.
Kelly has thrown 103 pitches. We’ll see if he returns for a seventh inning. It’s possible he could if the Red Sox don’t work to his spot in the batting order in the top of the seventh.
Mid 6th, Reds 2-0: Mat Latos isn’t giving the Red Sox an inch.
Latos has retired 11 in a row after a perfect sixth inning. He recorded two strikeouts in the sixth, giving him four on the night.
Dustin Pedroia lined out to Billy Hamilton in center field. Latos then struck out David Ortiz and Yoenis Cespedes.
Ortiz went down swinging on a curveball. Cespedes went down swinging on a slider.
End 5th, Reds 2-0: It hasn’t always been easy. But Joe Kelly has kept Cincinnati scoreless since the first inning.
The fifth inning marked one of those instances when it was relatively easy for Kelly. He retired the side in order.
Pitcher Mat Latos opened the inning with a strikeout despite working the count full against his counterpart. Billy Hamilton grounded to second base, and Jay Bruce flied to left field.
Yoenis Cespedes raced in to make a nice shoe-top grab on Bruce’s blooper to left.
Mid 5th, Reds 2-0: Bing, bing, bing.
Mat Latos — just as he did in the fourth inning — induced three straight ground ball outs in a quick fifth inning.
Will Middlebrooks, Joe Kelly and Brock Holt went down without a fight.
Latos is settling into a groove.
End 4th, Reds 2-0: Joe Kelly used a double play to successfully keep Cincinnati’s offense at bay in the fourth inning.
Kelly struck out Chris Heisey to begin the inning. He then walked Ramon Santiago as the Reds continue to produce baserunners.
Zack Cozart grounded to short, where Xander Bogaerts started a 6-4-3, inning-ending double play.
Mid 4th, Reds 2-0: Mat Latos worked effortlessly through the fourth.
Latos induced three ground ball outs. Daniel Nava, Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez all put the ball on the ground.
It’s been a grind for Joe Kelly thus far. The Red Sox’s offense hasn’t helped matters, either.
End 3rd, Reds 2-0: Joe Kelly fell back into trouble.
Kelly, who rebounded from a rocky first inning for a clean second, surrendered two hits in the third. Fortunately for the Red Sox, the right-hander successfully navigated his way out of the jam.
Jay Bruce singled into center field with one out. Devin Mesoraco followed suit, dumping a two-out single into center.
Kelly kept the Reds off the scoreboard by retiring Brayan Pena on a 6-4 forceout.
Mid 3rd, Reds 2-0: Joe Kelly is an athlete. He demonstrated that in the third inning.
Kelly led off with a single into right field. He now has two hits in his first two starts with the Red Sox. Look out, David Ortiz.
Kelly advanced to second base on Brock Holt’s sacrifice bunt. It was a good thing Holt put the bat on the ball or else he might have taken the pitch off the lips.
Kelly astutely swiped third base with Dustin Pedroia batting. Pedroia then worked a walk to put runners at the corners.
The Red Sox again couldn’t capitalize on the scoring opportunity, though. Ortiz popped out to short, and Yoenis Cespedes lined out to left field.
End 2nd, Reds 2-0: Joe Kelly settled down nicely in the second inning.
Kelly, who endured a very shaky first inning, retired the side in order in the second. He induced two ground balls before striking out pitcher Mat Latos.
Kelly threw 17 pitches in the second inning, though, pushing his total to 48 in the early going.
Mid 2nd, Reds 2-0: Mat Latos settled down in the second inning after surrendering a couple of hits in the first.
Xander Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez and Will Middlebrooks went down in order.
Bogaerts popped out behind the plate. Vazquez grounded to second base. Middlebrooks struck out looking.
It’s important for Joe Kelly to find a rhythm in the second.
End 1st, Reds 2-0: Joe Kelly is off to a shaky start.
Kelly, who is making his second start in a Red Sox uniform, threw 31 pitches in the first inning while allowing two runs on two hits and two walks.
Kelly walked Billy Hamilton on four pitches to begin his outing. That’s a huge no-no given Hamilton’s incredible baserunning prowess.
Hamilton, as expected, took off for second base. Christian Vazquez’s throw ended up in center field, allowing Hamilton to pop up and take third base. Hamilton was credited with his 44th stolen base of the year.
Kelly walked Jay Bruce, setting up runners at the corners for All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier. Frazier gave the Reds a 1-0 lead with a single into left field.
Devin Mesoraco added an RBI single before Kelly finally recorded an out. Brayan Pena grounded into a double play, and Chris Heisey struck out.
Mid 1st, 0-0: The Red Sox were no-hit until the seventh inning Saturday. It took Boston until the fourth inning Sunday to collect a hit.
The Red Sox wasted little time in this contest, though.
Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz produced back-to-back singles in the first inning off Reds starter Mat Latos despite Boston’s offense coming away empty handed.
Yoenis Cespedes popped out, and Daniel Nava struck out to end the Red Sox’s first-inning threat.
7:08 p.m.: Brock Holt digs in against Mat Latos. Let’s play a little baseball, shall we?
6:04 p.m.: The Red Sox made a roster move before Tuesday’s game.
Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. Left-hander Edwin Escobar, who was called up before Sunday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, has been sent down.
This move was expected, as Red Sox manager John Farrell said Tuesday that Ranaudo will start Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Reds. Escobar is expected to start Wednesday for Pawtucket.
Brandon Workman will join the bullpen for now.
5:55 p.m.: Jackie Bradley Jr. will sit again amid his offensive struggles.
Bradley enters Tuesday stuck in a 0-for-35 slump. He has struck out 18 times in that span, raising questions about whether he’ll ever figure things out at the plate. His woes have left the Red Sox in quite a predicament.
Brock Holt will start in center field in Bradley’s absence. Yoenis Cespedes (left field) and Daniel Nava (right field) will man the corner outfield spots.
David Ortiz will break out the first baseman’s mitt at the National League park. Mike Napoli will sit.
Tuesday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (52-65)
Brock Holt, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, 1B
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Daniel Nava, RF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Christian Vazquez, C
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Joe Kelly, RHP (0-0, 1.29 ERA)
Cincinnati Reds (60-58)
Billy Hamilton, CF
Jay Bruce, RF
Todd Frazier, 3B
Devin Mesoraco, C
Brayan Pena, 1B
Chris Heisey, LF
Ramon Santiago, 2B
Zack Cozart, SS
Mat Latos, RHP (4-3, 3.12 ERA)
5:30 p.m. ET: The Boston Red Sox’s eight-game road trip continues Tuesday in Cincinnati.
The Red Sox will play two games against the Reds at Great American Ball Park before returning to Fenway Park on Thursday for the start of an 11-game homestand. Joe Kelly will go for Boston in Tuesday’s series opener in Cincy.
Kelly is making his second start in a Red Sox uniform. The right-hander, who was acquired in the trade that sent John Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals before the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline, tossed seven innings of one-run ball against his former team in his first start with Boston.
Kelly figures to be a key component of the Red Sox’s 2015 rotation. Surely, the Sox would like to see the 26-year-old prove himself down the stretch, however. Kelly owns a 5.74 ERA (17 earned runs in 26 2/3 innings) in five starts since returning from the disabled list on July 11.
The Reds will counter with Mat Latos. Latos didn’t make his 2014 debut until June 14 because of an injury. He has pitched pretty well since, though, going 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 10 starts.
Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Tune in on NESN and follow along with NESN.com’s live blog.
