The Boston Red Sox keep on winning.
Thanks to Eduardo Rodriguez’s masterful start and Mitch Moreland’s three-run home run, the Sox topped the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Saturday at Great American Ball Park.
The Red Sox improve to 90-64, while the Reds drop to 66-89. Their magic number now is down to five.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Complete.
The Sox got a great outing from Rodriguez, and his teammates had a strong game, too.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Moreland hit the three-run home run. With the way the Cincinnati offense was playing Saturday, it wasn’t going to come back from that deficit.
ON THE BUMP
— Rodriguez had a stellar outing for the Red Sox right from the start.
He pitched 1-2-3 innings in the first and third frames, and he didn’t allow a hit until the fourth.
The left-hander was lifted with two outs and a man on first in the bottom of the eighth. He only allowed three hits with two walks while striking out six over 7 2/3 scoreless innings.
— Carson Smith got the final out of the eighth.
— Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless ninth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Brock Holt drove in Boston’s first run when he hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning. Xander Bogaerts scored on the play.
— The Red Sox’s bats were relatively quiet for the next few innings, but that changed in the top of the sixth when Moreland belted a three-run home run to center field. Holt reached base via error to lead off the frame, and Andrew Benintendi walked prior to Moreland’s at-bat.
— Benintendi increased the Sox’s lead to 5-0 in the seventh when he drove in Bogaerts on a single, although Holt was thrown out at third on the play.
— Christian Vazquez and Moreland both had two hits.
— Holt, Rodriguez, Chris Young and Jackie Bradley Jr. all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Red Sox fans will second this tweet.
Please. Keep running on our outfield.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 23, 2017
UP NEXT
Boston will close out its 2017 road slate when it faces the Reds on Sunday. Red Sox right-hander Doug Fister is scheduled to pitch opposite Jackson Stephens. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via David Kohl/USA TODAY Sports Images
