The Boston Red Sox had a situation they should have felt very comfortable with in the bottom of the ninth inning, but ultimately weren’t able to capitalize and fell 6-5 to the Detroit Tigers in extra innings at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.
Xander Bogaerts stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Red Sox shortstop, who has played as well as any at the position this season, put a ball in play on a line drive to left-center, but it wasn’t able to fall as Detroit’s Robbie Grossman made a diving snag to send the game to extras.
The Tigers made the most of that opportunity scoring three runs off Garrett Whitlock and ultimately held on as the Red Sox scored two of their own in the 10th.
J.D. Martinez tied the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning, but the Red Sox settled for eight hits in the contest. Marwin Gonzalez was the only Boston batter to record multiple hits.
The Red Sox fell to 18-13 while the Tigers snapped a six-game losing skid and improved to 9-22.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Wet.
It was a rain-soaked Wednesday night.
ON THE BUMP
— MartÃn Pérez put together another respectable start Wednesday.
Pérez retired the side in order during the first, second and fifth innings. He got out of the third unscathed after allowing runners on first and second with two outs.
Trouble struck Pérez in the sixth, though. He allowed runners to reach second and third with one out before getting the second out on a weak liner to second baseman Christian Arroyo. Detroit’s Jacob Jones sent a two-run double off the Green Monster to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
It ultimately got Perez pulled after 5 2/3 innings. He scattered six hits and allowed three runs (two earned) with six strikeouts.
— Josh Taylor came on in relief and got the final out of the sixth inning to limit the damage.
— Hirokazu Sawamura allowed one hit in the seventh inning, but kept Boston’s deficit to just 3-1, being helped by a sliding grab from Franchy Cordero.
— Adam Ottavino pitched the eighth inning after Martinez tied it up in the bottom of the seventh. Ottavino struck out two while allowing one hit in the frame.
— Matt Barnes struck out the side in the ninth inning, continuing the production which earned him AL Reliever of the Month.
— Whitlock came on in the 10th and, despite his success this season, had some trouble.
First, Tigers designated hitter Jonathan Schoop got the best of the right-hander as he hit a single on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. Jeimer Candelario, the next batter, then belted a three-run homer into the right-field seats to give the Tigers their 6-3 advantage.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Bogaerts led off the second inning with a walk before Christian Vázquez earned a walk himself. Bogaerts scored later in the inning on a one-out fielder’s choice by Arroyo.
— The Red Sox recorded their first hit when Vázquez reached on an infield single with one out in the fourth inning. Gonzalez slapped a single to left field but Boston, who had runners at the corners with two outs in the fourth, couldn’t capitalize.
— Boston had runners on first and second with nobody out in the sixth and had bases loaded with two outs later in the frame. Hunter Renfroe, however, grounded out to third to end the threat.
— Martinez tied the game at 3-all with a two-run homer in the seventh. Enrique Hernandez slapped a one-out single to left field before Martinez blasted one to the Red Sox bullpen two batters later.
— Hernandez started a ninth-inning rally with a walk before Devers slapped a double down the left field line. With two outs, Detroit chose the intentionally walk Martinez to bring Bogaerts to the plate with bases loaded in a tie game. Bogaerts made contact and drove a pitch in into left-center, but Grossman was there to make the catch and send the game to extras.
— The Red Sox did make it interesting in the 10th, though.
Bogaerts, who started the inning at second base, scored on a one-out RBI single by Gonzalez to make it 6-4. Kevin Plawecki reached first on an infield single to give the Red Sox runners at first and third with one out before Gonzalez scored on an error to make it 6-5. Bobby Dalbec lined to third for the second out and Hernandez went down looking for the game’s final out.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Vázquez moved on from his usual spot behind the dish and went to second base after Arroyo left the game after being hit by a pitch.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will host the Tigers back at Fenway Park on Thursday with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET.
