BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 10, Braves 8 - Christian Arroyo powers up

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Braves, complete with  BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE 

HEADLINES

Red Sox outhit their mistakes: For the second straight night in Atlanta, the Red Sox had to score enough runs to make up for their starting pitching and their shoddy defensive work. Starter Garrett Richards couldn't get an out in the fifth inning, and couldn't protect an early 4-1 lead. His short outing represented the sixth time in the last 10 games the Red Sox couldn't get at least five from their starter. That, in turn, has put a burden on the bullpen, which has had to pick up the slack when it comes to innings. On Wednesday night, Richards leaving early meant that Alex Cora had to cobble together the final 15 outs with six different pitchers, some of whom were effective and some of whom were not. When pitching wasn't the issue, there was the defense, which committed two errors, after three were made the night before. The two errors contributed to a couple of unearned runs, and also extended innings and required more work from an already exhausted pitching staff.

Arroyo's torrid June continues: Christian Arroyo had zero homers in his first 81 at-bats this season. But when the calendar turned to June, it's as if a switch was thrown and Arroyo found his power. He provided the biggest hit of the night -- and one of the biggest of the 2021 season -- when he came off the bench in the top of the seventh, and on a 1-and-2 pitch, cracked a tape-measure pinch-hit grand slam. It was the first grand slam for the Red Sox this season and turned what had been a 7-6 deficit into a 10-7 lead. It was also the fourth homer of the month for Arroyo and every one has been hit in a big spot -- a three-run homer to give the Red Sox the lead; a three-run homer to tie the game; a solo homer to tie the game; and the Wednesday slam to give them the lead. Arroyo wasn't even going to be the pinch-hitter -- Danny Santana was announced to hit lefty against righty Shane Greene -- but when the Braves went to lefty A.J. Minter, Arroyo was sent up and delivered in the biggest way possible.

TURNING POINT

In a crazy, back-and-forth game, this one truly wasn't over until the final out, when Adam Ottavino blew a fastball past Freddie Freeman. But the entire outcome could have been changed but for a careless and overly aggressive baserunning blunder by the Braves' best player, Ronald Acuna, Jr. In the ninth inning, with a runner on first and one out, Acuna laced a ball to the gap in right-center, scoring Guillermo Heredia all the way from first. That cut the Red Sox' lead, and the Braves should have had Acuna in scoring position at second with the dangerous Freeman representing the tying run at the plate. Instead, Acuna inexplicably tried to go to third and was gunned down there, easily, as Hunter Renfroe threw to the cutoff man, Xander Bogaerts, who fired to third for the second out. How the inning would have played out differently -- if at all -- can't be known, of course, but the Red Sox were thankful for the blunder on the bases.

TWO UP

Xander Bogaerts: The picture of consistency in the Red Sox lineup, the shortstop laced three doubles with two runs scored and an RBI.

Hunter Renfroe: Despite a careless error on a ball hit by Freeman, Renfroe had two more hits, knocked in two runs and added yet another assist on the play in which Acuna Jr. was gunned down at third.

ONE DOWN

Brandon Workman: The veteran reliever hasn't gotten into a groove yet. He came on in the seventh, walked the first batter he faced, and two outs later, after a fielder's choice, surrendered a run-scoring single and had to be lifted.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"When you're in a situation in which you're giving your team the lead or you're tying the ballgame late, I think it's just part of it. At the end of the day, we're playing a game and we're trying to have fun. It's just part of it.'' Christian Arroyo on bat flips and a dance he does on the bases after homers.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

* The Red Sox are 15 games over .500 for the first time this season.

* The two-game sweep of the Braves is the seventh of the season, including four on the road.

* The pinch-hit grand slam by Christian Arroyo was the first for the Sox since Mike Carp in 2013.

* Boston improved to 10-2 in interleague play this year.

UP NEXT

The Red Sox are off Thursday before starting a series in Kansas City Friday. It will be Nick Pivetta (6-2, 4.28) vs. RHP Jackson Kohar (0-2, 36.00) at 8:10 p.m.