Final, Red Sox 5-4: Game. Set. Match.
It took five hours and three minutes, but Stephen Drew ripped a ball just fair down the right field line and the Red Sox win, 5-4, in 15 innings.
Drew’s game-winning hit with two outs in the 15th frame was preceded by three walks. Dustin Pedroia walked to lead off the inning, Mike Napoli was intentionally walked and Jonny Gomes then worked another walk to load the bases for Drew.
The Red Sox had a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning, but Kyle Seager tied the score at four apiece with a solo homer in the eighth. The score stayed that way for a while as both offenses struggled to push across a run. The Red Sox actually had a runner cut down at the plate in the 14th inning, as Brandon Snyder was thrown out trying to tag up from third base on a fly ball to center field.
Drew’s hit finally ended a long day at the ballpark, though, and Drake Britton earned the victory, which is the first of his major league career. Britton tossed two scoreless innings in the victory.
The Red Sox and Mariners will play one more time Thursday. It’ll be a tough one for Boston, as Ryan Dempster will be opposed by Felix Hernandez. Thursday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
Good night, everyone. Or should I say, good morning.
Mid 15th, 4-4: Why wouldn’t Jonny Gomes execute an unassisted double play? That’s how crazy this game has become.
Raul Ibanez and Endy Chavez both singled with one out in the 15th inning. Michael Saunders then hit a line drive into left field that Gomes made a diving play on.
It was unclear at first if Gomes made the grab or trapped it, but the umpires ruled that he made the catch. (Replays showed that they made the right call.) Gomes knew it all along, and he started running back toward the infield to step on second base, which was vacated by Ibanez, to complete the unorthodox double play.
Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Mike Napoli are due up in the bottom of the 15th inning.
End 14th, 4-4: The Red Sox almost manufactured a run in perfect fashion. Instead, Brandon Snyder got thrown out at the plate, and we’ll head to inning No. 15.
Snyder pinch hit for Brock Holt, and he led off the 14th inning with a double into left-center field. Michael Saunders cut the ball off before it got into the gap, but Snyder was hustling out of the box and he dived into second base for a two-bagger. It was a very, very, very close play.
Snyder then moved up to third base when Jacoby Ellsbury dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt, and he tried to score when Shane Victorino hit a fly ball to center field.
Victorino’s fly ball wasn’t that deep, but Snyder tagged up and tried to score in what was certainly a worthwhile gamble at this stage of the game. Saunders’ throw was on the money, though, and Snyder failed to jar the ball loose while lowering his shoulder into Humberto Quintero’s mitt.
Mid 14th, 4-4: Let’s try this again.
We head to the 14th-inning stretch at Fenway Park with the score still tied 4-4 after Drake Britton tossed a scoreless top half of the inning.
Brad Miller singled into center field with one out, but Britton did another nice job of keeping his composure. The rookie got Nick Franklin to line out to Jacoby Ellsbury for the second out, and he finished the inning by striking out Kyle Seager.
Brock Holt, Ellsbury and Shane Victorino are due up for the Red Sox in the 14th. It looks like Brandon Snyder will pinch hit for Holt.
End 13th, 4-4: The Red Sox put a runner into scoring position in the 13th inning, but they couldn’t push him across.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia put people on their feet with a drive to the warning track in left-center field. Raul Ibanez ranged back to snag it in front of the Monster, though. It was just a loud out.
Jonny Gomes then pinch hit for Daniel Nava with two down. It was clear that Lucas Luetge wanted no part of Gomes, who has had a flair for the dramatic this season. The powerful slugger walked on five pitches, with the only strike being a questionable call.
Gomes moved up to second base on a wild pitch with Stephen Drew batting, but Drew couldn’t knock him in. Drew hit a popup into shallow right field that Nick Franklin grabbed.
Drake Britton will be the new Boston pitcher in the 14th.
Mid 13th, 4-4: Michael Saunders came about a foot away from giving the Mariners a lead.
Saunders drilled a two-out double high off the left field wall. In a different ballpark, it might have been a home run, as it was a scorched liner. It simply didn’t have the height to clear the Green Monster, though.
Craig Breslow kept Saunders from scoring by getting Dustin Ackley to lift a fly ball into center field that Jacoby Ellsbury tracked down.
Mike Napoli, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Daniel Nava will take their cuts in the bottom of the 13th inning.
End 12th, 4-4: David Ortiz almost took advantage of Fenway Park’s short right field line. Almost.
Shane Victorino struck out and Dustin Pedroia flied out to right field before Ortiz dug in. Ortiz then lifted a fly ball down near Pesky’s Pole that Endy Chavez hauled in on the warning track.
Craig Breslow will come back out for a second inning of work in the 13th.
Mid 12th, 4-4: The Mariners had the potential go-ahead run 90 feet away. Craig Breslow buckled down to keep Seattle off the board.
Breslow walked Brad Miller with one out in the 12th. Miller moved up to second base when Nick Franklin was retired on a little roller up the first base line that Mike Napoli took to the bag himself.
Miller then took third base as Kyle Seager walked. The ball got away from Jarrod Saltalamacchia in what was ruled a wild pitch.
Breslow got out of the inning by retiring Brendan Ryan. Ryan popped out to Napoli in foul territory.
Shane Victorino, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz will now come up with a chance to win it.
End 11th, 4-4: It’s been a long day of baseball. The trade deadline made headlines throughout the afternoon, and the Red Sox and Mariners are now playing the night away at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox’ offense again couldn’t get anything going against the Mariners’ bullpen in the 11th inning. Danny Farquhar enjoyed his second scoreless frame.
Stephen Drew struck out swinging to begin the 11th. Brock Holt then grounded out to third base, and Jacoby Ellsbury hit a harmless chopper down to first base.
Toss on a pot of coffee. We’ll have at least one more inning.
Craig Breslow will enter for Boston.
Mid 11th, 4-4: The Mariners threatened a bit in the 11th. But a sliding grab by Jacoby Ellsbury ended the inning.
Kendrys Morales led off with a single into center field. He was then lifted for a pinch-runner in Brendan Ryan.
After Raul Ibanez flied out for the first out, Michael Morse hit a bouncer over the mound. Stephen Drew charged it, and it looked like he’d probably go to first base upon fielding it. Drew rolled the dice and flipped to second base, though, and he just got a hustling Ryan. Mariners manager Eric Wedge didn’t agree with the call.
Michael Saunders extended the inning with a single, setting up runners at first and second with two outs. At that point, Endy Chavez pinch ran for Morse at second base.
Dustin Ackley threatened to put Seattle on top with a sinking line drive into left-center field, but Ellsbury came on to make a nice catch.
End 10th, 4-4: To the 11th inning, we go.
Danny Farquhar was the new Seattle pitcher in the 10th inning, and he had no problem extending this game. Farquhar retired the side in order, striking out two hitters in the process.
Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava were the strikeout victims, and they represented the first and third outs, respectively.
Nava actually put up a tremendous at-bat against Farquhar. He faced 11 pitches and even shattered his bat on a foul ball down the first base line. Farquhar eventually won the battle, though, as Nava chased a pitch down.
Matt Thornton will pitch the 11th inning for Boston after two great innings by Koji Uehara.
Mid 10th, 4-4: Koji Uehara breezed through another inning in the 10th.
Uehara needed just 11 pitches this time around, and he picked up two strikeouts in the frame.
Brad Miller popped out to Stephen Drew at short for the first out, and Uehara then struck out both Nick Franklin and Kyle Seager. Seager, of course, is responsible for the score being the way it is.
Mike Napoli, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Daniel Nava are due up in the bottom of the 10th.
End 9th, 4-4: Shane Victorino almost sent everyone home happy. Instead, we’ll have bonus baseball.
Jacoby Ellsbury struck out to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning. He laid off a fastball in an 0-2 count, but he was then caught off balance on the next pitch.
Victorino ended up earning a walk, but it wasn’t before he ripped a deep drive to left field that sailed a few feet foul. If Victorino straightened it out just a little bit, we’d be talking about a Red Sox win.
Charlie Furbush bounced back from the Victorino walk to strike out Dustin Pedroia swinging. Pedroia chased a pitch in the dirt, and John Farrell came out to contest that Pedroia foul tipped it. It was a fruitless argument.
David Ortiz popped out to end the inning, and we’ll now head to extra frames. Koji Uehara, who pitched the ninth inning, will come back out for the 10th.
Mid 9th, 4-4: Koji Uehara needed just eight pitches to cruise through a scoreless ninth inning. The Red Sox’ offense will now come up with a chance to win it.
Michael Saunders struck out looking on three pitches to begin the ninth. Dustin Ackley then flied out to center field, and Humberto Quintero grounded out to third base.
Brock Holt was forced to make a tough play on Quintero’s grounder. It was hit softly, and Holt charged in to record the out. Mike Napoli deserves credit as well for a nice stretch at first base.
The top of the order is due up for Boston in the ninth inning. That means Jacoby Ellsbury, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia will dig in against Charlie Furbush.
End 8th, 4-4: We’re all tied up going into the ninth inning.
The Red Sox’ offense couldn’t respond to Kyle Seager’s home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. In fact, they couldn’t get anything going.
Daniel Nava (who entered as a defensive replacement for Mike Carp), Stephen Drew and Brock Holt went down in order.
Koji Uehara will now enter for Boston.
Mid 8th, 4-4: Kyle Seager has been a tough out for the Red Sox this season. He tied the game with one swing in the eighth inning.
Junichi Tazawa took over for John Lackey and got a quick out when Nick Franklin lined out to Mike Napoli on the first pitch of the inning. Seager then took an approach similar to Franklin’s, but his ball landed in the seats above the Red Sox’ bullpen.
Seager jumped on a first-pitch fastball and drove it out of the yard for his 17th home run of the season.
Kendrys Morales also singled in the inning, forcing Tazawa to work a little bit more, but we’re looking at a tie game as we go to the bottom of the eighth.
Lackey will no longer factor in to the decision. He allowed three runs (all earned) on eight hits over seven innings. Lackey struck out six and walked one while throwing 95 pitches.
End 7th, Red Sox 4-3: Yoervis Medina immediately calmed things down upon entering.
Medina got Mike Napoli to ground into a double play, and he then struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia swinging to end the inning.
Junichi Tazawa will be the new Red Sox pitcher in the eighth inning, as John Lackey will exit after seven innings of work.
9:38 p.m., Red Sox 4-3: The Red Sox grabbed the lead.
Shane Victorino singled into center field to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, and Dustin Pedroia followed with a two-run homer over everything in left field.
Pedroia worked the count full before taking a hearty cut at a pitch middle in.
David Ortiz singled after Pedroia’s two-run dinger, and the Mariners will now make a pitching change. Yoervis Medina will replace Oliver Perez.
If you’re interested in seeing some interesting matchups — including how Pedroia’s 2013 season compares with Tony Conigliaro’s 1969 season — scoot on over to BostonFanFavorites.com.
Mid 7th, Mariners 3-2: We’ll enter the seventh-inning stretch with a one-run ballgame.
Humberto Quintero reached in the seventh against John Lackey with a single down the third base line. Brock Holt knocked it down on the backhand, but he was unable to corral it from there.
Prior to Quintero’s infield hit, Michael Saunders struck out for the first out and Dustin Ackley flied out to center field for the second out. Brad Miller lined out to center to end the inning.
End 6th, Mariners 3-2: Oliver Perez’s name was tossed around in trade speculation throughout the afternoon. The Mariners held onto him, though, and the lefty recorded a big out in the sixth inning.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia reached with a leadoff single, and Stephen Drew earned a four-pitch walk to put runners at first and second with one out.
Hisashi Iwakuma, who has done a tremendous job minimizing the damage throughout this game, then got Brock Holt to ground out to first base before exiting the ballgame.
Perez was called upon with runners at second and third with two outs, as Saltalamacchia and Drew each moved up a base on the groundout by Holt — which included a brief bobble by first baseman Michael Morse. Perez got Jacoby Ellsbury to chase a pitch down and out of the zone to escape the inning unharmed.
Mid 6th, Mariners 3-2: The Red Sox lost the lead as quickly as they gained it.
A walk to Brad Miller and singles by Humberto Quinto and Kyle Seager loaded the bases for veteran Kendrys Morales with one out. Morales hit a routine fly ball to left field, but it was deep enough to score Quintero with Seattle’s second run.
The Mariners grabbed the lead one batter later. Raul Ibanez ripped a single past a diving Dustin Pedroia, and Miller came around to score from second base.
After a brief mound visit, John Lackey bounced back to record the third out, but Seattle is back in the driver’s seat.
End 5th, Red Sox 2-1: The Mariners saw their lead vanish in the fifth inning, and they have themselves to blame.
Brock Holt, who was recalled Wednesday, got the inning going with a double down the right field line. There’s plenty of talk about whether Will Middlebrooks or Xander Bogaerts will get a major league call-up in the wake of Jose Iglesias being traded, so Holt is trying to show that he shouldn’t be overlooked.
The inning took a turn for the worse for Seattle, however, when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a sinking line drive into right-center field. Center fielder Dustin Ackley charged in, but he simply didn’t catch it. The ball bounced off his glove, which allowed Holt to take third base while Ellsbury reached safely at first.
Shane Victorino knocked in Holt with a line drive toward second base. The ball nearly hit Ellsbury between first and second, but the umpire ruled that it did not hit him. Ellsbury’s presence was apparently enough to block the vision of second baseman Nick Franklin, though, as Franklin couldn’t make the grab. Franklin’s error allowed Victorino to reach at first base while Holt scored and Ellsbury scampered over to third base.
Ellsbury scored Boston’s second run when Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third base. Hisashi Iwakuma escaped the inning without any more damage by striking out David Ortiz and Mike Napoli.
Both runs in the inning were unearned.
Mid 5th, Mariners 1-0: John Lackey breezed through the fifth inning.
Lackey sandwiched a popout with a pair of strikeouts, and the difference is still one run.
Michael Morse struck out swinging to begin the inning. Then, after Michael Saunders popped out to Stephen Drew at short, Dustin Ackley also went down hacking.
End 4th, Mariners 1-0: Stephen Drew sent one to the working track in the fourth inning, but it was nothing more than the final out.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia smacked a one-out single into right field, but that was the only offense that the Red Sox generated against Hisashi Iwakuma, who has settled down since being let off the ropes in the first inning.
Iwakuma struck out Mike Napoli for the second out after Salty’s single, and Drew then ended the inning with a deep flyout to center.
Mid 4th, Mariners 1-0: The Mariners have struck first.
Brad Miller singled to lead off the fourth inning, and he stole second base as Nick Franklin struck out swinging to move up into scoring position.
Kyle Seager, who has been one of baseball’s most underrated players this season, didn’t waste much time in coming through. Seager took two strikes before sending an RBI double down into the left field corner.
Seager moved up to third base on a groundout, but John Lackey made sure he didn’t also score by getting Raul Ibanez to pop out into foul territory along the first base line. Mike Napoli called off Jarrod Saltalamacchia to make the play.
End 3rd, 0-0: Hisashi Iwakuma has done a nice job of settling down after his first-inning escape.
Iwakuma, who exited a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the first inning, tossed his first 1-2-3 inning in the third.
Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia each grounded out to Nick Franklin at second base, and David Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ortiz chased a splitter down and out of the strike zone.
Mid 3rd, 0-0: John Lackey appeared to get hit in the foot by a comebacker, which prompted John Farrell and the team trainer to check on the pitcher. Lackey immediately motioned that he was fine, though, and the two turned around and headed back to the dugout before ever reaching the mound.
Lackey retired Michael Saunders on a groundout to begin the inning. Then, Dustin Ackley hit a line drive back up the middle that ricocheted off Lackey’s foot for an infield single.
Lackey responded to the play in the best way possible. He shrugged it off, buckled down and induced an inning-ending double play.
End 2nd, 0-0: Stephen Drew’s one-out single was the only noise made by Boston.
Drew lined a base hit into right field after Mike Carp flied out to begin the inning. Drew didn’t advance, though, as Hisashi Iwakuma retired the next two hitters.
Brock Holt flied out to Raul Ibanez in left field, and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to third baseman Kyle Seager.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Kendrys Morales singled back up the middle, but this time it was John Lackey who benefited from a double play.
After Morales’ single, Raul Ibanez yanked a ground ball to third baseman Brock Holt, who was stationed in shallow right field because of the shift. Holt tossed to second base to kick off a 5-6-3 double play.
Michael Morse flied out to Shane Victorino down the right field line for the inning’s final out.
End 1st, 0-0: The Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs, yet they came away with nothing.
Jacoby Elllsbury, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia started the game with three straight singles to pack the bags for David Ortiz.
At that point, most Red Sox fans were probably thinking four runs on one swing, especially after Ortiz worked the count to 3-1. Hisashi Iwakuma got Ortiz to hit a little dribbler off the end of the bat, though, and it resulted in a huge double play.
Ortiz hit the roller out in front of the mound, and Iwakuma charged in, made the play and flipped the ball out of his glove to catcher Humberto Quintero. Quintero then fired to first to throw out the slow-moving Ortiz.
Mike Napoli walked with two outs to reload the bases, but Iwakuma escaped the jam by getting Jarrod Saltalamacchia to line out to first base.
Mid 1st, 0-0: John Lackey enjoyed a very quick first inning.
Lackey needed just one pitch to record the first out, as Brad Miller lifted a routine fly ball to left field.
Lackey then struck out Nick Franklin, dialing it up to 95 mph in a 1-2 count to pick up the K.
The inning ended in style, as Dustin Pedroia made a nifty diving stop. The Red Sox’ infield was shifted to the right side with Kyle Seager up, and Pedroia made a backhanded pick in shallow right field before delivering a strong throw to first.
7:11 p.m.: John Lackey’s first pitch is lifted to left field. One pitch, one out. We’re underway at Fenway.
6:56 p.m.: With Jake Peavy joining the rotation, Brandon Workman will head to the bullpen. He’s been terrific in his three major league starts, and his poise should translate well to a relief role.
6:41 p.m.: While John Farrell is very excited to add Jake Peavy to the mix, he did mention that the Red Sox lost a very good player in Jose Iglesias.
“We traded a series of text messages and he was very thankful, complimentary and wished us all well, which we do the same for Iggy,” Farrell said of his interaction with the departing infielder.
6:34 p.m.: While discussing the Jake Peavy acquisition, both John Farrell and Juan Nieves pointed to the pitcher’s competitiveness as one of his biggest strengths.
Farrell said that you might even see Peavy talk to himself on the mound, whether it be to fire himself up or rise to the occasion.
Farrell said that he’s not sure when Peavy, who is expected to join the team Thursday, will make his Red Sox debut. The skipper said that it will come on the current homestand, though.
6:20 p.m.: As you’ve probably noticed from the lineup card, Brock Holt has been recalled.
Holt will start at third base Wednesday, and John Farrell said that the decision to bring him up was based on his ability to also serve as a backup shortstop.
There has been plenty of debate about who the Red Sox should turn to as their starting third baseman, and Farrell said that both Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts are in the conversation. He said that the Red Sox are still letting the dust settle following the deadline, so while Holt is the guy manning the hot corner Wednesday, perhaps we’ll see either Middlebrooks or Bogaerts as soon as Thursday.
5:40 p.m.: Wednesday’s lineups are below.
Red Sox (64-44)
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Mike Carp, LF
Stephen Drew, SS
Brock Holt, 3B
John Lackey, RHP (7-8, 3.19 ERA)
Mariners (50-56)
Brad Miller, SS
Nick Franklin, 2B
Kyle Seager, 3B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Raul Ibanez, LF
Michael Morse, 1B
Michael Saunders, RF
Dustin Ackley, CF
Humberto Quintero, C
Hisashi Iwakuma, RHP (10-4, 2.87 ERA)
4:35 p.m.: The 4 p.m. trade deadline has come and gone. There are no other Red Sox deals to report.
8 a.m. ET: Much of the focus Wednesday will be on the 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline. But the Red Sox also have a game to play.
We won’t know for a few hours if the Red Sox will make any roster changes before Wednesday’s game, but they were busy late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. The Sox acquired starter Jake Peavy from the White Sox and reliever Brayan Villarreal from the Tigers as part of a three-team, seven-play deal. Boston relinquished Jose Iglesias and three minor leaguers to make it happen.
Peavy should boost the Red Sox’ rotation, and he comes at a reasonable price. Iglesias has been excellent this year, but he has struggled offensively of late, and it could be a sign of things to come. None of the three prospects that Boston surrendered are considered elite at this point.
Peavy won’t start Wednesday’s game, though. The ball will instead be handed to John Lackey, who is looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses. Lackey surrendered five runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings his last time out in Baltimore.
Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in on NESN, and keep it right here with NESN.com’s live blog.
