Final: Red Sox 1, Orioles 0 (11 innings)

BALTIMORE -- The Red Sox have played – and won -- so many extra-inning games this year, they have resorted to inventing creative ways to end them.

On Tuesday night, they scored the winning run on a wild pitch by reliever Brad Brach, giving the Sox a 1-0 win in 11 innings. The victory was Boston’s 15th in 18 extra-inning games this season.

The Sox loaded the bases in the 11th when Brach’s first pitch to Mitch Moreland skipped in the dirt and got past catcher Wellington Castillo.

After scoring 10 runs Monday night, the Red Sox were held scoreless through the first nine, mostly by starter Kevin Gausman. Gausman surrendered just three hits – all singles and issued only one walk in eight dominant innings.

The Sox didn’t collect a hit until Rafael Devers drove a single into right with two out in the fifth. Their best chance before extra innings came in the ninth when Andrew Benintendi lashed a double into the right field corner off reliever Darren O’Day. But Mookie Betts and Moreland hit harmless flyballs and Benintendi was stranded in scoring position.

Drew Pomeranz turned in one of his strongest starts of the season, blanking the Orioles over 6.1 innings, allowing just five hits along the way. The Orioles got two runners in scoring position against the lefty, who pitched into the seventh for the seventh time in 30 starts this season.

Benintendi turned in the night’s two big defensive plays by the Boston outfield. With Manny Machado on second and two out, Jonathan Schoop singled to left and Machado headed to the plate. But Benintendi made a strong, on-target throw and Machado was easily tagged out, giving Benintendi a team-best 10 assists from the outfield.

• Tonight marks only the seventh time in 30 starts that Drew Pomeranz has pitched past the sixth inning. Tonight, he's held the Orioles scoreless through six and has allowed only five hits but he was also at 95 pitches, casting doubt on whether he'd be back out for the seventh. He did -- but just for the first hitter, a lefty. Pomeranz has walked just two, but he seems to go deep into counts on most hitters, which runs up his pitch count. One bright spot: in the post-season, with more days off scheduled, this won't be as big a drain on the bullpen if Pomeranz can't get the Sox deeper into games.


• Jackie Bradley Jr. seems to provide a highlight catch per night. Tonight's web gem came in the fourth when he robbed Chris Davis of either a homer, or at the very least, extra bases with a leaping catch against the wall in right-center. As Evan Drellich noted recently, there's something suspect when FanGraphs has Bradley ranked as only the seventh-best center field based on metrics. We're spoiled watching Bradley on an everyday basis and maybe there's a tendency to overrate those whom you watch regularly. But can there really be six center fielders better than Bradley. Doesn't seem possible.


• For all the accolades given to Andrew Benintendi for his sweet swing and impressive rookie year, his defense has gotten a bit lost. Benintendi gunned down Manny Machado at the plate with a strong, accurate throw. That gave him 10 assists this season, the most of any Red Sox outfielder. And while it's true that reputation plays into -- teams know full-well not to run on Bradley, and don't -- Benintendi has executed most of his throws well.

• Predictably, Dustin Pedroia was out of the lineup Tuesday, a night after a foul ball popped up and hit him square on the nose. Pedroia bled profusely and left the game. Leaving the clubhouse as reporters entered post-game, he looked better than expected and reported he was improved. "He's sore,' said John Farrell Tuesday afternoon. "In an emergency only would we put him in the game. We felt like, after talking with him here, it was best to give him a whole other day. I would expect him to be back in the lineup (Wednesday). There was no further imaging here today; the follow-up with the medical staff didn't warrant it. But he is sore, there's no question about it.''


• David Price told Farrell that he was ready to throw out of the bullpen Monday night, a day after making his bullpen debut in 2017 and throwing 21 pitches. "That's a great sign,'' Farell said, "but we've got to be sure we build in appropriate rest for him.''


• Farrell raved about the outing turned in by Carson Smith, who picked up the save with a perfect ninth. "Powerful, good life, good sink,'' said Farrell. "(Monday) night was by far his best (outing returning from Tommy John surgery). Just the overall command, the consistent location and the power to the stuff. That was pretty close to where he was pre-surgery.''


• Hanley Ramirez (biceps/shoulder) made a pinch-hitting appearance Monday and was available Tuesday night off the bench, too. "Every intent would have him starting (Wednesday) against (Wade) Miley,'' Farrell said.


• Eduardo Nunez did some straight-ahead running on the field, took some ground balls and hit. Assuming no setbacks, Nunez will try to run the bases Wednesday afternoon and could be on track to return to the lineup Friday in Cincinnati.