Overcoming an early two-run deficit and enduring a nearly three-hour rain delay, the Red Sox six runs in their final three at-bats and dispatched the Atlanta Braves, 9-4, gaining a split of the two-game interleague series.
Christian Vazquez and Rafael Devers each knocked in three runs, as the Sox got homers from Devers and Hunter Renfroe.
The Sox took the lead for good in the sixth on a fielders choice, a run-scoring double from Devers and a two-run single from Vazquez.
Nick Pivetta wasn't sharp, allowing four runs in six innings, but still improved to 6-0.
WHO: Red Sox (29-20) vs. Atlanta Braves (24-24)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: ATL 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.59) vs. LHP Drew Smyly (2-2, 5.11)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
BRAVES
Acuna RF
Freeman 1B
Albies 2B
Riley 3B
Swanson DD
Sandoval DH
Heredia LF
Inciarte CF
Contreras C
RED SOX
Hernandez CF
Verdugo LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Dalbec 1B
Vazquez C
Arroyo 2B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B8: Red Sox tack on a couple of insurance runs - one on error by Braves SS Dansby Swanson, another on a sacrifice fly by Vazquez. Vazquez now has three RBI tonight.
RAIN DELAY -- Tarp on the field after six innings.
B6: Huge hard-hit single to right-center by Christian Vazquez scores two and gives the Red Sox a three-run lead, their biggest of the night.
B6: Wall double from Devers, scoring J.D. Martinez, and the Red Sox have their first lead of the night.
B6: Going on contact, Alex Verdugo slides in, head-first, just ahead of the tag on a chopper to third by Bogaerts. Game tied again.
T5: Well, that didn't last long. After getting Ozzie Albies to fly out to left for the first out, Pivetta allows a line drive homer to Austin Riley, who puts the Braves on top again. Pivetta has allowed seven hits tonight and five are for extra bases.
B4: With one mammoth swing, Rafael Devers ties it up. Devers went down in the zone for a curveball and drove deep into the CF bleachers. Measured at 434 feet, it's No. 14 for Devers.
B2: Hunter Renfroe gets a curveball hanging over the middle of the plate and pulls it into the Monster Seats. Sixth homer for Renfroe; Sox on the board.
T2: Double by Freddie Freeman. That's four extra-base hits in the first nine plate appearances against Pivetta, who's on the brink here. Another single and it's 5-0.
T2: Braves strike again quickly in the second with a leadoff double into the LF corner by Guiilermo Heredia into the left field corner, and after a groundout moves him to third, a sacrifice fly to left plates another run.
T1: When Nick Pivetta has struggled, it's often been in the first inning. He allows to the Braves, with two run-scoring extra-base hits to right field -- one Ozzie Albies, one by Dansby Swanson. Pivetta has allowed seven runs in 10 starts in the first inning.
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have lost their last two after winning their previous four...They're 3-0-0 in their last three series and 5-1-0 in their last six...The Sox claim MLB’s sixth-best record, only two games behind the Padres (1st, 31-18, .633). ....The Sox are playing their 50th game of the season tonight. They've previously won at least 30 of their first 50 games 27 times, reaching the postseason in each of the last five -- 2007, ‘08, ‘13, ‘16, ‘18...The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (105), extra-base hits (174), slugging percentage (.445), and OPS (.767) while ranking second in AVG (.260) and tied for second in runs scored (250). ...When the Sox score four or more runs, they're 26-3 (.897) and 15-0 when scoring seven or more...The Red Sox have totaled 14 hits in their last three games, after recording 13 or more hits in each of their previous three games....: The Sox are out-homering their opponents, 65-35 (plus-30), the largest difference in MLB... They rank fourth in the AL in HR hit with 65....They've hit multiple HR in nine of their last 11 games...They are 16-2 (.889) when hitting two or more homers...Meanwhile, Red Sox pitchers have allowed 0.73 homers per nine innings, the second-lowest rate in MLB, with only St. Louis (0.71) lower...The Sox have allowed no more than one homers in 13 straight games, their longest streak since 2016, when they had an 18-game stretch....The only teams with longer streaks this season are the Mets (18 games) and Tigers (14 games)....Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and J.D. Martinez are the only MLB trio with at least 10 HR and 30 RBI each this season....Red Sox starters have thrown five or more innings 41 times, tied with LAD and OAK for most in MLB...They have thrown five or more in 26 of their last 28 games. Sox starters have thrown six or more innings in nine of their last 16 games, after doing so in only eights of their first 33...Starters have allowed no more than one homer in 31 straight game s....Since joining the Red Sox, Nick Pivetta is 7-0 with a 3.28 ERA in 11 starts ...The only other pitchers in franchise to go unbeaten in their first 11 or more starts with the Sox are Matt Clement (first 12 in 2005) and Mike Nagy (first 12 in 1969). The Sox are 10-1 in Pivetta’s starts...This is only the 2nd time in franchise history the Sox have won at least 10 of a pitcher’s first 11 starts with the club (also Joe Heving in 1938)....Danny Santana has three hits with the Sox and all have been for extra-bases..Prior to him, the last player whose first three hits as a Red Sox were all extra-base hits was Mike Carp in 2013 ....Santana is the first player since Mike Greenwell (1985) whose first three hits as a member of the Red Sox were either triples or homers....Freddie Freeman is 10-for-30 with a homer against Pivetta in his career while Ender Inciarte is 11-for-25....Bogaerts is 4-for-19 lifetime against Drew Smyly while Martinez is 0-for-7....Bogaerts has a six-game hitting streak.....Kike Hernandez is hitting .357 (10-for-28) since returning from the IL.
NOTES:
* Alex Cora will miss Saturday afternoon's game with Miami to return to Puerto Rico and attend his daughter Camila's high school graduation. While Cora is gone, bench coach Will Venable will manage the team.
* Cora dropped catcher Christian Vazquez to eighth in the order in order to get two righties potentially additional at-bats against lefty Drew Smyly -- Hunter Renfroe and Bobby Dalbec.
* Ryan Brasier (calf strain) threw a live BP in Fort Myers Tuesday. Next up is a bullpen session, followed by another live BP. It's possible that Braiser could be cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment after that.