It wasn't easy, but the Red Sox got it done against the Braves on Tuesday.
Boston beat Atlanta 10-8 at Truist Park to extend its win streak to two games.
This one got ugly quick after the Red Sox blew a 5-0 and 7-4 lead, but Alex Verdugo came in clutch to put Boston ahead for good in the eighth.
Eduardo Rodriguez was handed his third straight no-decision after four innings of work. He did amass eight strikeouts.
With the win, the Red Sox improved to 41-27, while the Braves fell to 30-34.
Here's how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Sheesh.
The Braves did not make it easy for the Red Sox to get a win, and things got stressful at times for Boston fans, but the visiting team got it done.
ON THE BUMP
-- Rodriguez began the game strong with five strikeouts through his first two innings of work.
The southpaw did run into a bit of trouble in the third, though, after a double and sacrifice bunt Christian Vázquez couldn't handle put runners on the corners. Rodriguez did get Ronald Acuña Jr. to strikeout, but Freddie Freeman singled home Guillermo Heredia to make it 5-1.
Rodriguez got out of the inning without any further damage.
Things got a little rocky for Boston in the fourth when back-to-back doubles from Dansby Swanson and Abraham Almonte made it a 5-2 game. An Ehire Adrianza walk allowed Acuña to scorch a triple that brought in two more to reduce the Red Sox's lead to one.
The inning ended with Acuña stranded on third.
-- Garrett Whitlock took over in the fifth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning.
Things weren't as smooth in the sixth, though.
The right-hander ran into a bit of trouble when a walk and an error put two men on with nobody out. William Contreras hit an RBI-single to bring the Braves within two with runners on second and third. A walk to Pablo Sandoval loaded the bags for Acuña, but Whitlock responded with a strikeout before Alex Cora went to the bullpen.
-- Darwinzon Hernandez's second pitch went by Vázquez to bring in a run to make it a 7-6 game.
Freeman tied the game on a sacrifice fly before the inning came to a close.
-- Hirokazu Sawamura tossed a 1-2-3 seventh with a strikeout.
-- The eighth belonged to Adam Ottavino and delivered a clean frame with two strikeouts.
-- Matt Barnes got into a bit of a jam and gave up a run to make it a 10-8 game in the ninth on a weak Austin Riley single, but Barnes picked up his 15th save and closed out the game.
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
-- It didn't take long for the Red Sox to jump out to an early lead.
Kiké Hernández and Alex Verdugo began the first inning with back-to-back singles. Braves pitcher Tucker Davidson did settle down and get the next two outs, but then Rafael Devers stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run home run.
Hunter Renfroe decided he wanted to add to the lead and made it a 4-0 game before the inning ended with a solo shot.
-- Devers stayed hot after J.D. Martinez led off the third with a triple and was driven home on a single by the third baseman to make it a 5-0 ballgame.
-- Boston added some insurance after allowing Atlanta to come within a run when Xander Bogaerts hit a solo blast in the fifth inning to put the Red Sox up 6-4.
Devers doubled and was driven home on a Renfroe single for the 7-4 edge before the inning came to an end.
-- Whitlock then added to Boston's hit total with his first career hit -- a single -- in the sixth.
-- The Red Sox made some noise in the eighth with runners in scoring position and one out, and Verdugo delivered in a big way.
He took an off-speed pitch that carried out of Truist Park to put the Red Sox up 10-7.
-- Verdugo and Devers had two hits apiece.
TWEET OF THE GAME
They were so happy for Whitlock.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox wrap up their quick series with the Braves on Wednesday night. First pitch from Truist Park is set for 7:20 p.m. ET.
