Xander Bogaerts hit a solo homerun, and Danny Santana followed with a game winning solo shot as the Boston Red Sox won their fourth straight game with a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Rafael Devers opened the scoring with a double in the third that scored pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who had walked. Bogaerts added a sacrifice fly in the inning to make it 2-0 Sox. Odebel Herrera cut the deficit to a run for the Phillies with a sacrifice fly in fourth. Bogaerts and Santana then went back to back in that sixth inning to extend to a 4-1 advantage. It was number 10 for Bogaerts, and two for Santana (his second in as many nights). Rhys Hoskins hit a solo homerun in the sixth for Philadelphia, his ninth of the season and 100th of his career. Hoskins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh to bring the hosts within a run. Darwinzon Hernandez helped Boston to work out of the jam by striking out Brad Miller to end the threat. The Phillies had another good chance in their last at bat in the bottom of the ninth against Red Sox closer Matt Barnes. Ronald Torreyes singled to lead off, and then after Andrew McCutcheon struck out, Jean Segura walked. Barnes though got Bryce Harper to ground into a force out, and then struck out Hoskins swinging to end the game.
No batters had multiple hits for Boston (29-18), as seven different players had one each. Eovaldi (5-2) got the win allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. The homerun by Hoskins off Eovaldi was the first that the right hander has given up this season in 68 innings pitched. Josh Taylor, Phillips Valdez, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Adam Ottavino all got holds while Barnes picked up his 11th save. Miller had two hits for Philadelphia (22-24), and top prospect Spencer Howard lost on the hill allowing two runs on one hit with four walks and five strikeouts in 3.0 innings. The Red Sox go for the three game sweep on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 with LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-2, 4.70 ERA) to toe the rubber for Boston, and Philadelphia countering with RHP Zack Wheeler (3-2, 2.52).
