FINAL, ALDS Gm. 2: Red Sox 14, Rays 6 - Hernandez (5 for 6, 3 RBI) leads 5 Sox with at least 3 hits

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Well, that was interesting.

If I would have told you before this game that Chris Sale wouldn't make it out of the first inning, you would have told me, "Glad I don't have to watch the Sox anymore, need to make a tee time, pick some apples."

Well, the Red Sox' bats had other ideas, and so did Tanner Houck.

Boston pounded out 20 hits to win Game 2 14-6 and to take home-field advantage back to Fenway Park.

J.D. Martinez had the big hit — a three-run homer when the game was tied 5-5 — in the fifth inning to put the Red Sox ahead for good.

Five Sox — Kike Hernandez, Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo, Martinez and Christian Vazquez — had at least three hits. Hernandez had five hits, including a home run, and three RBI. Hernandez had 11 total bases.

Sale left after giving up five runs, including a grand slam, in the first inning. Houck got the win by tossing five innings in which he allowed two hits and just one run. He ran his streak to 29 consecutive outs before giving up a single. He struck out five and had 12 swings and misses.

_________________________

WHO: Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays
WHEN: 7:02 p.m.
WHERE: Tropicana Field
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Chris Sale (5-1, 3.16 ERA) vs. RHP Shane Baz (2-0, 2.03)
SEASON SERIES: TB 12-8
TV/RADIO: FS1; WEEI 93.7 FM
BSJ LIVE BOX 

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Schwarber 1B
Hernandez CF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo LF
Martinez DH
Renfroe RF
Vazquez C
Arroyo 2B

RAYS

Arozarena LF
Franco SS
Lowe 2B
Cruz DH
Diaz 3B
Luplow 1B
Margot RF
Zunino C
Kiermaier CF

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox committed no errors and out-hit the Rays, 9-6, in last night’s 5-0 loss...It marked the 11th time in Postseason history a team had 9+ hits and 0 runs (1st time in Red Sox history). The Sox were shut out for the 8th time in Postseason history (1st since 2016 ALDS-G2 at CLE)...It marked their 3rd shutout loss in a Postseason Game 1 (also 2009 ALDS at LAA and 2013 ALCS vs. DET). ....The Red Sox did not draw a walk in last night’s game, after they walked 7 times in their Wild Card Game victory over the Yankees. The Sox became the 1st team to record 9+ hits and 0 XBH in a Postseason game since the 2014 Giants in Game 4 of the NLDS vs. WSH. The Sox hit 9 balls at 102+ MPH, 5 of which were outs. DOWN 0-1: The Red Sox have gone on to win 2 Division Series after losing Game 1 (1999 vs. CLE and 2003 vs. OAK). The Sox have never won Game 2 of an ALDS after losing Game 1 (0-2 in 1995, ‘99, 2003, ‘05, ‘09, ‘16, and ‘17). 8 of the 26 World Series champions in Division Series history (since 1995) lost Game 1 of the DS, most recently the 2019 Nationals and 2015 Royals. ....The Red Sox have been charged with only 4 errors in their last 16 games (beginning 9/17). On Tuesday vs. NYY, the Red Sox threw out Aaron Judge at home plate on an 8-6-2 putout in the 6th inning, keeping the score at 3-1...In the regular season, Sox outfielders led MLB with 43 assists, their most in a season since 1987 (47)....Last night, Kiké Hernández became only the 49th player ever to appear in 60+ Postseason games. Hernández has played in more Postseason games (60) and hit more Postseason HR (8) than any other player on the Red Sox’ ALDS roster. There have been 3 Postseason leadoff HR hit by Red Sox, all in the World Series: Patsy Dougherty (1903-G2), Johnny Damon (2004-G4), and Dustin Pedroia (2007-G1). ....Xander Bogaerts has made 24 Postseason starts at shortstop, 2nd-most in Red Sox history behind Nomar Garciaparra (25)...In Tuesday’s win vs. NYY, Bogaerts gave the Sox a 2-0 lead with a 2-run HR in the 1st inning. Bogaerts won World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2013 and 2018...He is the only player that was on the club’s active World Series roster in both of those years....The Red Sox are 9-2 in their last 11 Postseason games...They are making the 25th Postseason appearance in franchise history, their 1st since winning the 2018 World Series championship. The Sox are 103-87-1 in Postseason play...They are 1-0 in Wild Card Games and 22-15 in 37 series, having gone 7-6 in 13 trips to the ALDS (23-26 in games), 6-5 in the ALCS (30-32), and 9-4 in the World Series (49-29-1). ....The Red Sox were 26-30 against Postseason teams in 2021, having played the Rays (8-11), Yankees (10-9), White Sox (3-4), Astros (2-5), and Braves (3-1)...They were 66-40 (.623) against all other teams. .....The Red Sox’ ALDS roster features 13 pitchers and 13 position players. 9 players on the Sox’ ALDS roster have won a World Series (Bogaerts, Devers, Hernández, Schwarber, Vázquez, Brasier, Eovaldi, Rodriguez, Sale). .....Last night, Nick Pivetta threw 4.2 innings of relief...That is tied for the 6th-longest relief outing in Red Sox Postseason history and was the club’s longest since Nathan Eovaldi’s 6.0-inning effort in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. In their last 23 games (beginning 9/8), the Red Sox have posted a 3.40 ERA (77 ER/203.2 IP). Tuesday vs. NYY was the 1st time in franchise history the Red Sox struck out 11+ batters and walked none in a Postseason game...They were the 22nd MLB team (7th AL team) to accomplish the feat. .....The Red Sox and Rays are meeting in the Postseason for the 3rd time (2008 ALCS and 2013 ALDS)...The Sox are 6-6 vs. TB in the Postseason, with 7 of the 12 games decided by 1 or 2 runs (see table on next page). Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Rays manager Kevin Cash were teammates with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2008, helping lead BOS to the Postseason in each year. ...The Red Sox made their 1st appearance in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday and defeated the Yankees at Fenway Park, 6-2, in front of a sellout crowd of 38,324. The Sox improved to 7-6 all time in winner-takeall Postseason games...They are 8-1 in their last 9 Postseason games against the Yankees. 7 teams have won a World Series without winning their division, including the 2004 Red Sox and 2 teams that played in a Wild Card Game (2014-SF, 2019-WSH). .....Eovaldi allowed 1 run in 5.1 IP against the Yankees on Tuesday (4 H, 0 BB, 8 SO)...In 7 career Postseason games (all with BOS), he is 2-1 with a 1.63 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP (27.2 IP, 19 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 24 SO). Eovaldi is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 3 Postseason starts (4 ER/18.1 IP)...The only other pitchers to throw 5.0+ innings and allow 2 runs or fewer in each of their first 3 Postseason starts with the Sox are Josh Beckett (4), Jon Lester (3), and Babe Ruth (3)....The Red Sox led MLB with 47 comeback wins in the regular season; the Rays ranked 2nd (46). The Sox’ largest deficit overcome to win was 4 runs, done 4 times, including in their final game of the regular season (trailed 1-5, won 7-5 on 10/3 at WSH). The Sox’ largest deficit overcome to win a Postseason game is 7 runs, to win Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS against the Rays at Fenway Park (trailed 0-7, won 8-7). ....The Red Sox have won 4 of the last 17 World Series titles (2004, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18), the most championships in MLB this century. Under the current ownership group (2002-present), the Sox have been to the Postseason 11 times...The only other teams with 10+ appearances in the last 20 years are NYY (16), STL (13), LAD (13), and ATL (11).

NOTES

* The call didn't come until just over an hour before gametime before