Both contests of the Red Sox’s two-game set with the Colorado Rockies this week required extra innings.
But unlike Tuesday, Boston emerged with the victory Wednesday, with Michael Chavis’ single up the middle in the 10th inning giving the Sox the 6-5 win at Fenway Park.
It was a good finish for the Red Sox, who squandered a five-run lead earlier in the game.
The Red Sox climb to 23-20 with the win, while the Rockies fall to 20-22 with the loss.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Clutch.
Whether it was Chavis or Marcus Walden, the Red Sox had guys making big plays late in the game.
ON THE BUMP
— Eduardo Rodriguez looked decent for most of the night but came unglued in the seventh, and it marred his outing. The 26-year-old allowed five runs on nine hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts over six-plus innings.
The first three innings were relatively stress-free for Rodriguez. He allowed a hit in a scoreless first and two singles in a scoreless second, following that up with a 1-2-3 third.
But tasked with protecting a 5-0 lead in the fourth, the southpaw let Colorado get a pair back. Mark Reynolds kicked off the inning with a single, and an Ian Desmond double two batters later put a pair in scoring position. David Dahl knocked in the Rockies’ first run with a sacrifice fly to center, then Tony Wolters brought in one more with a double down the right-field line, cutting Boston’s lead to 5-2. With runners on second and third and two out, Rodriguez got Charlie Blackmon to fly out to end the inning.
Rodriguez got through the fifth and sixth without issue, but the wheels fell off in the seventh. The lefty was yanked after loading the bases with no outs on a single, double and hit batter.
— Matt Barnes took over in a pretty unenviable situation, and he couldn’t get out of the jam.
The righty allowed Trevor Story to single to left, plating two runs to make it 5-4 Boston. After getting Nolan Arenado to strike out, Barnes induced a groundout to pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy, but the tying run scored from third in the process. Murphy’s RBI ended Barnes’ night, with all three runs he allowed to score getting charged to Rodriguez.
— Walden relieved Barnes, striking out Raimel Tapia to end the seventh and strand the go-ahead run at second.
He returned for the eighth and retired the side in order, striking out one. Walden also pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, punching out two.
— Heath Hembree allowed a leadoff double to Arenado in the 10th, then got the next two hitters out before walking Desmond, making the end of his night.
— Brandon Workman stranded both runners by striking Dahl to end the 10th.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Rodriguez got some early run support, with the Red Sox hanging two runs on Rockies starter German Marquez in the first inning.
Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez led off the inning with singles, with Martinez’s base knock bringing in Benintendi for the game’s first run. Mitch Moreland grounded into a double play the next at-bat, but in the process brought Betts in to make it 2-0.
— The Red Sox extended their lead in the third inning.
Benintendi roped a one-out triple off the Green Monster, then came home the next at-bat on a flare into right by Betts. The next hitter, Martinez, blasted a two-run shot into Boston’s bullpen to make it 5-0 Red Sox.
— Xander Bogaerts began the 10th with a double to dead center, then the Rockies intentionally walked Rafael Devers. That allowed Chavis to step in and single up the middle to plate Bogaerts and end the game.
— Betts led the Red Sox with three hits.
— Benintendi, Martinez, Chavis and Christian Vazquez had two hits apiece.
— Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. had one hit each.
— Moreland and Devers went hitless, as did Eduardo Nunez in his pinch-hit at-bat.
TWEET OF THE DAY
No argument here.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will begin a three-game series with the Houston Astros on Friday. Rick Porcello will get the ball for Boston, while the Astros’ starter is to be determined. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
