The Boston Red Sox have had great success in extra-innings games this season, and that trend continued Monday night at Camden Yards.
The Red Sox took down the Baltimore Orioles 10-8 in a wild back-and-forth affair that took 11 innings to complete. Boston erased a five-run deficit in the matchup and ultimately notched the victory thanks to a go-ahead, two-RBI single off the bat of Andrew Benintendi.
Boston found itself in a hole after a poor outing from Doug Fister. The right-hander only lasted two innings in which he allowed five runs on four hits with five walks. But thanks to timely hitting, the Red Sox overcame the starting pitching woes.
With the win, the Red Sox improve to 86-64, while the Orioles fall to 73-78.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Typical.
Boston has seemed to develop a knack for taking ball games into extras this year, and more often than not, it’s found itself on the winning end.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Carson Smith pitched a perfect 11th inning to improve the Red Sox’s record to 14-3 in extra-innings games this season.
ON THE BUMP
— Baltimore wasted no time getting after Fister. After Tim Beckham led off the game with a walk, Manny Machado followed with a single, which deflected off Rafael Devers’ glove, allowing Beckham to advance to third. The O’s pushed across their first run of the game on the next batter when Jonathan Schoop picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
The second inning was even more unkind to Fister. Chris Davis led off the frame with a double, followed by back-to-back walks of Welington Castillo and Pedro Alvarez. Austin Hays then made Fister pay with a two RBI double to boost Baltimore’s lead to 3-0. Two batters later, Machado lifted a sacrifice fly for the Orioles’ fourth run.
Fister came back out for the third, but after allowing the first three hitters of the inning to reach base, Red Sox manager John Farrell decided to pull his starter.
— Heath Hembree followed Fister and allowed one inherited run to score on a Castillo sacrifice fly. The right-hander stayed on for the fourth and allowed one run on two hits in the inning.
— Fernando Abad came on in the fifth and logged the first two outs of the frame before allowing a solo shot to Pedro Alvarez, which prompted the left-hander’s exit from the game.
— Brandon Workman appeared to record the final out of the fifth when he induced Hays into a grounder, but a Devers fielding error kept the inning alive. Beckham made this mistake costly by lacing an RBI double for the Orioles’ eighth run. Workman stayed on for the sixth and tossed a scoreless frame.
— Robby Scott entered in the seventh and got Chris Davis to fly out on his only batter faced.
— Joe Kelly notched the final two outs of the seventh.
— Addison Reed allowed two runners to reach base in the eighth but managed to pitch a scoreless inning.
— Craig Kimbrel hurled a 1-2-3 ninth.
— Matt Barnes allowed the leadoff man to reach base in the 10th, but Sandy Leon gunned down pinch-runner Craig Gentry on a steal attempt. The right-hander recorded the final two outs in the scoreless inning.
— Smith logged a 1-2-3 11th inning to lock down the comeback win.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Benintendi finished 2-for-6 on the night, including his go-ahead, two RBI single in the 11th.
— Mookie Betts went 2-for-6 with a three-RBI double in the fifth inning.
— Xander Bogaerts (1-for-3, three walks) launched a solo shot in the seventh inning to even the score at 8-8.
— Brock Holt replaced Dustin Pedroia in the game after the veteran second baseman fouled a ball off of his face. Holt went 2-for-2 with a two-RBI double.
— Christian Vazquez continued his hot streak at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double.
— Devers went 2-for-5 with two singles.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. reached base via single.
— Mitch Moreland and Leon went hitless in the ball game.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Sox fans were out and about in The Charm City.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Orioles will play the middle game of their three-game series Tuesday night. Boston will give the ball to Drew Pomeranz, who will be opposed by Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman. First pitch from Camden Yards is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Patrick McDermott/USA TODAY Sports Images
