The Boston Red Sox are just a little bit hot right now.
The Red Sox played Game 2 of their series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, and it didn’t start as expected. American League Cy Young contender Rick Porcello gave up three runs in the third to give the Rays a lead, and Boston was playing catch-up for a while. However, Dustin Pedroia totally changed that with a grand slam in the seventh to give the Red Sox a 6-4 win.
Here’s how it all unfolded.
GAME IN A WORD
Fight.
One rough inning didn’t stop Porcello from keeping control of Saturday’s game, and the offense came roaring back in the seventh for the win.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Pedroia hit his grand slam.
The Red Sox had been down since the third inning, but the second baseman completely turned the game around with his huge home run.
ON THE BUMP
— It wasn’t Porcello’s sharpest night, but he still was Rick Porcello in the end. The right-hander got a little roughed up in the third inning, giving up three runs after allowing two singles followed by a two-RBI double by first baseman Brad Miller and an RBI single by left fielder Corey Dickerson. Otherwise, Porcello got himself out of jams and still managed to mow down quite a few Rays in the process.
Porcello finished with three runs allowed on eight hits with one walk and nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
— Three different relievers handled the rest of the seventh inning for Porcello. Robby Scott came out and gave up a single to Kevin Kiermaier, Brad Ziegler got Evan Longoria to line out, and Robbie Ross Jr. got Brad Miller to ground out.
— Koji Uehara started the eighth by giving up a double to Dickerson, but Sandy Leon nabbed the left fielder trying to advance to third. Uehara got Nick Franklin to fly out and struck out Mikie Mahtook to end the frame.
— Craig Kimbrel gave up a two-out solo shot to second baseman Logan Forsythe but ended the ninth inning with his second strikeout.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Pedroia was the star Saturday, smacking a grand slam to put the Red Sox ahead in the seventh inning. The second baseman went 2-for-4 with one run and four RBIs.
— Hanley Ramirez (2-for-4) and Brock Holt (2-for-4) also enjoyed multi-hit nights. Both added an RBI to the box score, and Holt scored a run.
— Mookie Betts spent some time on the bases, going 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs. David Ortiz went 1-for-4.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run, and Leon went 0-for-3 with a fielder’s choice and a run.
— Xander Bogaerts (0-for-4) and Chris Young (0-for-3) went hitless.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Tropicana Field apparently was Fenway Park South on Saturday night.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox play the final game of their series against the Rays on Sunday in a 1:10 p.m. ET matchup at Tropicana Field. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez will go head-to-head with Tampa Bay right-hander Jake Odorizzi.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
