Rafael Devers hit his second homerun, a two-run shot in the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon, as the Boston Red Sox finished off a four run rally for a 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in the last game of the regular season. The win gives Boston the top American League wild card spot, and will host the New York Yankees in a one game wild card matchup on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Jordy Mercer had an RBI double in the second inning and Lane Thomas worked a bases loaded walk in the third to give Washington an early 2-0 lead. Devers hit his first long ball of the day in the fourth with a solo homerun to centerfield. Things didn’t look good in the fifth when Mercer scored another run with an RBI groundout, and Alex Avila hit a two-run double to make it 5-1 Nationals. Boston cut it to 5-2 in the sixth when Christian Vazquez scored Jose Iglesias on an infield single. A big seventh inning would tie it when Devers had a one out RBI single, and then with two outs Alex Verdugo slapped a two-run double to right center on a 1-1 pitch. Kyle Schwarber reached on an error to start the ninth inning, and then with one out Devers smoked a 2-1 offering from Nats reliever Kyle Finnegan over the wall in center for the game winner. The second of the night traveled an estimated 443 feet. The Red Sox finish 92-70 along with the Yankees, but Boston will host the one game playoff because they had a 10-9 edge over their rivals in the regular season series.
Eduardo Rodriguez (13-8) got the win in relief, and Nick Pivetta earned a save. Chris Sale was pulled after 2.1 innings after struggling some and allowing two runs on four hits with three walks. Devers four hits and four RBI led the way, while Verdugo had three knocks, and Iglesias had two. Finnegan (5-9) took the loss for Washington, while Alcides Escobar and Josh Bell had two hits each. The Nationals end their season at 65-97. Boston and New York are scheduled for an 8:08 first pitch Tuesday night at Fenway, with the winner advancing to play the American League Eastern Division Champion Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The scheduled pitching matchup is Nathan Eovaldi against Gerrit Cole.
