The Boston Red Sox took a four run lead in the fourth inning on Saturday night, but then needed a Brock Holt homerun in the ninth inning to escape with a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres in Interleague play at Petco Park in San Diego.
Mookie Betts started the scoring in a scoreless game in the top of the third with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Boston. The Sox then extended the lead in the fourth when Christian Vazquez hit a two run double, and Mitch Moreland had an RBI single to center field for a 4-0 advantage. San Diego (59-69) then ended the night for Boston starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi in the bottom of the fourth when Manny Machado led off with a single, and then Eric Hosmer crushed a two run homerun deep over the fence in right to cut the deficit to a pair. The Padres had been held without a run in the first 12 innings of the series prior to the Hosmer homerun. Later in the inning, Luis Urias had an RBI groundout to make it 4-3. Urias began the bottom of the seventh with a walk against Sox reliever Ryan Brasier, and later scored on a Ty France RBI single to tie things 4-4 against another reliever Josh Taylor in a run that was charged to Brasier.
In the ninth against Padres closer Kirby Yates, Holt got the game winner taking one over the fence in right center on the first pitch he saw to lead off the inning. It was the third homerun of the season for Holt. San Diego had two men on base with walks in their last at bat in the bottom of the ninth against Brandon Workman, but Workman picked up the save by eventually striking out Hosmer to end it.
Matt Barnes (4-4) picked up the win by pitching a scoreless eighth inning for Boston. Eovaldi allowed two runs on four hits in 3.0+ innings. Workman got his eighth save. Betts, Vazquez, and Moreland had two hits a piece as the Sox improve to 70-61. Yates (0-4) took the loss for the Padres allowing the Holt homer in the ninth. Dinelson Lamet started the game on the mound and allowed four runs on six hits in 5.0 innings. Urias had two hits.
Boston will go for the three game sweep on Sunday evening with a 4:10 p.m. Eastern Time first pitch. A pair of left handers with toe the rubber as Brian Johnson starts for the Red Sox, and Joey Lucchesi goes for the Padres.
Brock Holt talks with third base coach Carlos Febles during a break in action in a game earlier this season at Fenway Park. Holt hit a game winning homerun Saturday night to lead the Red Sox to a win over the San Diego Padres. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner
