Once again, the Red Sox blew several sizeable leads. And once again, they used a dramatic late-inning homer to pull out a win.
Christian Arroyo belted a tape-measure pinch-hit grand slam to erase a one-run deficit and give the Red Sox a 10-8 victory over the Atlanta Braves and a sweep of the two-game interleague series.
The Sox also pounded out eight doubles as part of their 14-hit attack, while using every position player and seven different pitchers.
Garrett Richards had another poor start, failing to get an out in the fifth inning and allowing six runs -- four of them earned.
WHO: Red Sox (41-27) vs. Atlanta Braves (30-34)|
WHEN: 7:20 p.m.
WHERE: Truist Park
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 1-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 2-1
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Richards (4-4, 4.09) vs. RHP Ian Anderson (4-3, 3.26)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Gonzalez 2B
Verdugo CF
Martinez LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Vazquez C
Dalbec 1B
Richards P
BRAVES
Acuna Jr. RF
Freeman 1B
Albies 2B
Almonte LF
Riley 3B
Swanson SS
Smith C
Heredia CF
Anderson P
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T7: On a 1-and-2 pitch, Christian Arroyo crushes a cutter and belts it 467 feet for the first Red Sox grand slam of the season, putting the Sox up 10-7. Quite a month for Arroyo, who has four homers in limited playing time -- none bigger than this one.
B6: Sawamura has had a problem with the long ball - that's his sixth allowed this season as Freddie Freeman takes him out to left field. Atlanta has its first lead of the series.
B5: For the second straight night, the Red Sox have coughed up a multi-run lead and allowed the Braves to tie up the game. After a leadoff double by Abraham Almonte and a throwing error by Bogaerts, Richards leaves a fastball over the inner half and Dansby Swanson drills it down the line for a three-run shot. That's it for Richards, who gives way to Hirokazu Sawamura.
T5: With three straight hits, the Red Sox regain the two runs they allowed to the Braves in the bottom of the last inning. Rafael Devers smokes a ball through the infield to deliver Bogaerts. Still nobody out.
T5: Bogaerts rips a double down the left field line, scoring J.D. Martinez all the way from first base.
B4: Ball was hit hard enough to possibly start an inning-ending double play, but when Marwin Gonzalez couldn't field that shot cleanly, the focus was on getting one out -- which he did, at first base, as a run scored.
T4: Richards smokes a ball to the gap in right-center for his first major league hit, scoring Dalbec from first base.
T4: Needing to make contact, Bobby Dalbec drills a ground ball between two drawn-in infielders, scoring Renfroe (double) from third base and the Sox extend their lead to 3-1.
B3: Braves scratch out a run on a gift double on a misplay by Renfroe, a groundout and a sac fly to CF.
B2: Richards manages to keep Ronald Acuna Jr. in the ballpark with two on and two out as Renfroe tracks it down on the warning track in RF.
B1: Garrett Richards has struggled mightily in the first inning (ERA coming in: 8.31), but after putting two on with no out, gets out of it without allowing a run.
T1: Red Sox get Atlanta starter Ian Anderson to throw 36 pitches in the first inning.
T1: For the second time in as many nights, the Red Sox put up multiple runs in the first inning. A soft, opposite-field floater to RF for Hunter Renfroe, plating two.
WHAT's UP: The Red Sox have won each of the last two games, are 4-2 in the last six, and 9-4 in the last 13...For the third time this season, the Red Sox are 14 game over .500. They were also 14 games over at 37-23 on June 7 and at 39-25 on June 11....The Sox hit four homers in Tuesday's win and have hit at least four homers in five games this season, tied for most in the majors...The Sox have scored 10 more runs nine times, the highest figure for any American League team...Rafael Devers became the 10th player in Red Sox history to reach 500 career hits before turning 25....He also became the fifth Dominican-born player to reach 90 homers and 300 RBI before his 25th birthday. The others: Albert Pujols, Cesar Cedeno, Adrian Beltre and Manny Ramirez...Th Sox lead the majors in doubles (145) and extra-base hits(237)...They rank third in SLG (.436). The Sox are an MLB-best 36-4 (.900) when scoring four or more runs and 19-0 when scoring seven or more...At 21-10 with a .677 winning percentage,, the Red Sox have the second-best road mark...The Red Sox are 9-2 in interleague play this season...They are 272-182 (.599) all-time against the NL, the highest Interleague winning percentage in the majors. The Red Sox are 7-0-1 in their last eight series in Atlanta, dating back to 2006...They are 18-4 with a +60 run differential in those games (133-73). Garrett Whitlock singled in the sixth inning last night for his first career hit...Prior to that, Sox pitchers had been hitless in their previous 34 PA (0-for-31, BB, 2 sacrifice bunts)....Alex Verdugo has hit 15 homers with the Red Sox over the last two years and eight of those have given his team the lead -- as Tuesday's in the eighth inning did....In his last 14 games, Adam Ottavino has allowed one run in 13.0 IP....Darwinzon Hernandez has allowed one run on two hits in his last 11 outings...: Garrett Richards has a 3.21 ERA over his last 67.1 innings after allowing eight ER in his first three innings this season. Has thrown five or more innings in each of his last nine starts, his longest streak since a career-high 27 consecutive outings from June of 2015 through June of 2015 through April 2016...He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his last 12 starts, including two earned runs or fewer in seven...Pablo Sandoval is 5-for-9 lifetime against Richards...J.D. Martinez has a six-game hitting streak...
NOTES:
* The Red Sox optioned Michael Chavis back to Worcester after Tuesday's win and recalled RHP Yachsel Rios from Worcester. Rios was obtained Monday from Seattle for cash considerations. "He has a good fastball,'' said Alex Cora of Rios. "He made some adjustments in spring training. We believe if we can use the fastball in certain spots, he should be OK. The velocity is up and he gives us another strong arm in our bullpen so we'll see where it takes us. He's a guy, who from afar has always intrigued me.''
* The Milwaukee Brewers claimed Ryan Weber on waivers from the Red Sox. He had been called up from Worcester over the weekend and pitched 5.2 innings of relief, allowing 13 hits and 11 runs including four homers. He was out of options.
* Chris Sale threw a bullpen Tuesday and will throw a heavier (35 pitches) bullpen Friday. The schedule calls for him to throw live BP a week from Friday, June 25. "I think I mentioned last time that it was kind of like (he was throwing) a bullpen in January,'' said Cora. "Now, it's kind of like throwing a bullpen in February, in Fort Myers. We're still trending up. We're in a good spot. The fact that he's been able to do this without any red flags puts in a great spot.''