After two straight losses to the Astros to start the series the Red Sox needed to do something to get back in the win column, what better way than with another Sunday Night walk-off on national television.
Xander Boegarts started the scoring off when he singled home Mookie Betts to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead
Rick Porcello would proceed to give up a home run in the next inning to Marwin Gonzalez to tie the game at 1 a piece
The third and fifth inning would belong to JD Martinez as he would give the Sox a 2-1 lead on a sac fly, then hit his 40th homerun of the season. The three run shot made it 5-1. Martinez is the first Red Sox player since David Ortiz in 2006 to hit 40 homers in a season.
Going to the 6th, Porcello would give up another solo shot to Jose Altuve cutting the lead to 5-2. Then came the bullpen. The relievers struggled once again, giving up three runs to eventually tie the game at 5-5.
The teams would exchange scoreless innings up until the 9th, when Mitch Moreland would come to the plate and hit a walk-off single.
The Red Sox improve to 98-46 on the season pushing the magic number to clinch a playoff spot to one, and also dropping the magic number to clinch the A.L. East to 11.
Final pitching lines….
Porcello- 5.2 IP / 7 Hits / 4 ER / 6 SO
Winner- Craig Kimbrel
Dallas Keuchel- 6.0 IP / 9 Hits / 5 ER / 2 SO
Loss- Hector Rondon
Up next for the Sox is a 3 game series against the Blue Jays starting on Tuesday at 7:10. Chris Sale returns to start for Boston, to be opposed by Jays lefty Ryan Borucki.
