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.
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
