The final frame had it all.
Not only did the Boston Red Sox score three runs in the ninth inning Wednesday night — one on Xander Bogaerts’ solo home run and two on Mookie Betts’ walk-off double — en route to a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park. But Cardinals manager Mike Matheny also was ejected with one out in the last inning for blowing up on home plate umpire Chris Segal.
Matheny stormed out of the dugout after Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina started to get into it with Segal, who called timeout (on his own) right before John Brebbia was about to deliver an 0-2 pitch to Eduardo Nunez with runners at first and second. Brebbia had held the ball for a long time, seemingly in an attempt to control Boston’s running game, and Segal evidently wanted to reset things before the big offering, which didn’t sit well with Matheny, who could be heard telling the ump, “It’s not your show, man.”
Really, Matheny’s blow-up was the culmination of frustration that had been growing all night for the Cardinals. And it didn’t take long for Segal to give the ticked-off skipper the hook.
The problem for the Cardinals was they still had a game to win. And although Nunez popped out to the right side for the second out of the inning, Betts ensured the Fenway Faithful went home happy by hitting a line drive off the Green Monster to plate both Chris Young and Jackie Bradley Jr. and give the Red Sox a walk-off victory.
Matheny explained his frustration after the game.
The win was big for the Red Sox, as they remain 4 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees, who defeated the New York Mets on Wednesday night. And the defeat was huge for the Cardinals, as they now sit in third place, 2 1/2 games back in the National League Central, with both the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers winning their games.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
