There certainly won’t be another game like the one the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays played Sunday.
The Red Sox were dealing, as starter Eduardo Rodriguez (13) and relievers Heath Hembree (five), Matt Barnes (one) and Joe Kelly (four) combined to strike out 23 batters through 10 innings, including a Major League Baseball-record 11 straight from the fourth through the seventh. However, runs were at a premium for Boston despite putting plenty of runners on base.
The Red Sox were victorious in the end, though, pulling ahead in the 10th on a wild play at home plate when Dustin Pedroia somehow scored from first on a David Ortiz double.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Pitching.
The Red Sox were on fire on the mound Sunday, striking out an MLB-record 21 batters over nine innings. The Rays’ staff wasn’t too shabby, either, as it held Boston to two runs over nine frames.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Joe Kelly kept the Rays scoreless in the 10th inning.
There was no walk-off at Tropicana Field on Sunday thanks to the Red Sox right-hander.
ON THE BUMP
— Rodriguez’s last start at Tropicana Field this season ended with him being demoted to Triple-A after giving up nine runs over just 2 2/3 innings. Sunday was a wildly different story, however, as the lefty turned in a brilliant outing, albeit a short one. Rodriguez fanned a career-high 13 Rays — his previous high was nine — and gave up one run on just three hits with two walks over 5 1/3 innings. His pitch count caught up to him, though, as Red Sox manager John Farrell called upon the bullpen in the sixth inning after Rodriguez’s 13th strikeout and 113th pitch.
— Heath Hembree relieved Rodriguez in the sixth and struck out right fielder Mikie Mahtook and left fielder Corey Dickerson to end the frame. Oh, and he struck out all three of his batters in the seventh for good measure.
— Matt Barnes wasn’t as sharp as his teammates, giving up a single to second baseman Logan Forsythe to start the eighth before striking out Jaff Decker and walking Evan Longoria. Fernando Abad relieved Barnes, only to give up a game-tying RBI single to Brad Miller, who would be the only batter the lefty faced.
— Joe Kelly ended the threat in the eighth by getting pinch-hitter Nick Franklin to ground into an inning-ending double play. The right-hander returned for a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts and finished off the 10th with a little drama. Kelly gave up two singles, but he ultimately ended the threat, picking up two more K’s along the way.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Dustin Pedroia struck again Sunday, hitting his second go-ahead home run in as many days. It wasn’t a grand slam this time, but rather a leadoff solo shot in the third. The second baseman went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.
— David Ortiz had the Red Sox’s only other multi-hit performance of the day, going 3-for-5 with a double in the 10th that scored Pedroia. The run was scored as an error on catcher Luke Maile, though.
— Mookie Betts went 1-for-4Â with a walk and an RBI single in the first inning.
— Xander Bogaerts added a double and reached base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks and a run.
— Andrew Benintendi had the most interesting stat line of the day, as the left fielder went 0-for-1 with three walks.
— Christian Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a double.
— Hanley Ramirez (0-for-5), Travis Shaw (0-for-4) and Chris Young (0-for-4) all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE DAY
The death of Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez made for a somber day across baseball.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox get one last off-day Monday before starting a three-game series against the Yankees in New York. David Price will start Tuesday for the Red Sox in a 7:05 p.m. ET matchup, but New York has yet to announce its starter.
Thumbnail photo via Jeff Griffith/USA TODAY Sports Images
