Well, it wasn’t quite as easy as Friday night, but a W is a W.
The Boston Red Sox clinched their three-game series against the San Diego Padres with a dramatic 5-4 win Saturday night a Petco Park.
Things were turned over to the bullpen early after a shaky outing from Nathan Eovaldi. And while allowing just two runs over six innings of work, the pen racked up a blown save. But some ninth-inning magic helped Boston take game two of the series.
The Red Sox move to 70-61 with the win while the Padres fell to 58-69.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Clutch.
It looked like this one might slip away for a moment.
ON THE BUMP
— Eovaldi once again was unable to make it very deep in his second start since heading back to the rotation.
The right-hander got through the first two frames while allowing just one baserunner, and worked around a walk and a single in the third. But things unraveled a bit in the fourth. Eovaldi was pulled without recording an out after giving up a double to Manny Machado and a home run to Eric Hosmer to make it 4-2.
Eovaldi’s night was done after 3+ innings having allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. He threw 64 pitches.
— Marcus Walden immediately gave up a double to Hunter Renfroe, who advanced to third on a fly out and later scored on a Luis Urias groundout.
Walden worked around a walk to avoid further damage.
— Darwinzon Hernandez tossed a spotless fifth, striking out one.
— Ryan Brasier came on to strike out two in a perfect sixth.
The righty’s second frame did not go as smoothly, sandwiching a strikeout between two hit batsmen.
— That signaled the Sox to turn to Josh Taylor with two on and one out, but the lefty could not get out of the jam.
Ty France singled to plate the tying run to make it 4-4. After loading the bases with a walk, Taylor struck out Hosmer to avoid further damage.
— Matt Barnes chucked a scoreless eighth.
— Brandon Workman picked up the save working around two walks to toss a scoreless ninth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Mookie Betts put Boston on the board in the third.
Following a single from Mitch Moreland, Christian Vazquez was hit by a pitch. After Eovaldi was unable to advance the runners with a bunt, Betts followed with a laced single through the infield to plate the first run.
— Four-straight batters reached to spark a three-run fourth.
Vazquez got the big hit, driving a two-run double to center to score J.D. Martinez and Andrew Benintendi and make it 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
Moreland followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
— Brock Holt came up clutch once again, drving a leadoff home run to right field in the ninth to make it 5-4.
— Betts, Vazquez and Moreland each had two hits. Bogaerts, Martinez, Benintendi and Holt added knocks.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Well, at least someone like the Players’ Weekend jerseys.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will wrap up their series in San Diego on Sunday. First pitch from Petco Park is slated for 4:10 p.m. ET.
