The Boston Red Sox haven’t been too explosive on offense this season, but they made their hits count on Easter Sunday.
The Red Sox rallied from a pair of early deficits to erase Drew Pomeranz’s subpar outing and earn a 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park.
Boston improved to 7-5 on the season and now has won three of its last four games.
Here’s how this one went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Clutch.
The Red Sox trailed the Rays 4-2 and 5-4 but battled back both times thanks to big hits from Pablo Sandoval and Mitch Moreland. The Sox batted .384 with runners in scoring position (5-for-13).
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Christian Vazquez ripped an RBI double in the eighth inning.
Vazquez’s third hit of the day gave the Red Sox an extra insurance run heading into the ninth, helping the club hold on for its second consecutive win at Fenway.
ON THE BUMP
— Pomeranz had a bizarre outing to say the least. The left-hander struck out 10 batters — one short of a career high — but otherwise failed to contain a Tampa Bay lineup that roughed him up for five runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Pomeranz paid the price for control issues out of the gate, allowing a two-RBI triple to Brad Miller after walking the first two batters he faced in the first inning. His other two earned runs came via the long ball, as Corey Dickerson and Tim Beckham both touched the southpaw with solo shots to center field.
Manager John Farrell pulled Pomeranz with one out in the fifth after 103 pitches (65 strikes).
— Joe Kelly was very strong in relief of Pomeranz, allowing just one hit over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander induced a double play to end the top of the fifth inning and didn’t walk a batter while picking up the win.
— Matt Barnes had a shaky appearance, allowing a hit and a walk in the eighth inning before being pulled in favor of Robby Scott with two outs. Barnes struck out two, however.
— Scott got Dickerson to fly out to end the Rays’ threat in the eighth.
— Closer Craig Kimbrel struck out two and got help from a Vazquez web gem on a pop-up behind the plate to earn his fourth save of the season.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox tallied two runs in the first inning on four consecutive hits, including Mookie Betts’ chip shot RBI double to right field and Mitch Moreland’s RBI single.
— Pablo Sandoval came up clutch in the fourth with a two-run home run onto the Green Monster that tied the score at 4-4. It was Sandoval’s sixth hit and third homer of the season.
— Moreland delivered another key hit in the seventh, slapping a bases-loaded single to left field that scored two and put Boston ahead 6-5.
Moreland had an excellent day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk.
— Vazquez continued his torrid offensive start with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish. The Red Sox catcher laced an RBI double to the left field corner in the eighth that scored Chris Young from first base and put Boston up 7-5.
— Betts (3-for-4, RBI, two runs scored) and Andrew Benintendi (3-for-5, two runs scored) jump-started the Red Sox’s offense with a combined six hits and four runs scored from the top of the lineup.
— Hanley Ramirez also tallied a pair of hits before exiting in the seventh inning with a hamstring injury.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Happy Easter from Hanley!
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will continue a Patriots’ Day tradition Monday, closing out their series against the Rays with an 11 a.m. ET matinee matchup at Fenway Park. Knuckleballer Steven Wright will get the start opposite Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
