The Boston Red Sox trailed the Philadelphia Phillies for most of Monday night’s game, but Dustin Pedroia made sure his team would leave Fenway Park with a win.
The veteran second baseman flared a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Red Sox an exciting 6-5 win.
Boston trailed by as many as four runs, but a series of timely hits lifted the home team to a series-opening victory.
Although Rick Porcello’s struggles continued against the Phillies, another valiant effort by the Red Sox bullpen kept Boston in the game.
The Sox improve to 35-28 with the win, while the Phils drop to 21-41.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Comeback.
The Red Sox only led once in Monday night’s game, but it came when it mattered most.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Pedroia sent a walk-off single the opposite way to give the Red Sox a thrilling victory.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello didn’t have his best stuff by any means. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on 10 hits over six innings of work.
His night didn’t start as he’d hoped. The right-hander allowed an Odubel Herrera single and Daniel Nava double on the first two batters of the ballgame. Porcello nearly escaped the damage by responding with two quick outs, but the Phils rattled off three more hits in the first and scored four runs in the frame.
Porcello settled in, though, tossing three scoreless innings following a rocky first frame. But trouble would arise again in the fifth. After Aaron Altherr led off the inning with a double, the Phillies plated their fifth run of the game thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Howie Kendrick.
Porcello tossed a perfect sixth inning, but at 114 pitches, Red Sox manager John Farrell decided his starter’s night was over.
— Joe Kelly entered in the seventh inning and tossed a scoreless frame.
— Robby Scott dodged a leadoff walk and a wild pitch to hurl a scoreless eighth inning.
— Craig Kimbrel came on in a tie game in the ninth inning and recorded a scoreless frame.
— Matt Barnes allowed two hits in the 10th, but managed to escape the inning unscathed. The right-hander stayed on for the 11th and pitched another scoreless inning.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
–Pedroia (2-for-5) nearly ended the game in the ninth inning. He crushed one high off the Green Monster, but was limited to a textbook Fenway Park single. Two innings later, though, his RBI single sent the Sox home with a win.
— Andrew Benintendi put Boston on the board with a solo home run in the first inning. He also added an RBI single in the third, finishing the night 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
— Mookie Betts went 4-for-5, including an RBIÂ double that tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth inning.
— Hanley Ramirez (1-for-5) only recorded one hit in the game, but it was a big one. His eighth-inning solo blast tied the score at 5-5.
— Mitch Moreland roped two singles in his 2-for-5 effort.
— Sandy Leon went 1-for-4 with a single.
— Pablo Sandoval entered in the eighth inning and smacked a single in the 11th.
— Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Josh Rutledge all went hitless in the ballgame.
TWEET OF THE DAY
This is a direct shot at the Phillie Phanatic.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Phillies will play Game 2 of the Boston portion of the home-and-home series Tuesday night. The Sox will send David Price to the hill, while the Phils will counter with Ben Lively. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
