Kenley Jansen picked up his 400th career save on Wednesday night against his old team, as the Boston Red Sox finished off a difficult road trip against Philadelphia and Atlanta with a 3-2 record with a 5-2 victory over the Braves at Truist Park.
Boston (22-16) was staked to a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Kike Hernandez and Jarren Duran in the fourth inning behind starter Brayan Bello. Atlanta (25-12) tied it on a solo homerun by Ronald Acuna Jr. and an RBI single by Eddie Rosario in the sixth off Bello. The Red Sox made Bello a winner when Raimiel Tapia doubled in Duran in the top of the seventh. Triston Casas added a very long 442 foot two-run homer in the ninth to pad the lead. Jansen allowed a one out double to Rosario in the bottom half, but got Travis d’Arnaud swinging to end the game and record career save number 400. Only six other pitchers in the history of MLB have reached the 400 save plateau. Bello improved to 2-1 on the season and Jansen got his ninth save of the campaign so far. Duran had two hits. Boston returns to Fenway Park on Friday to open up another interleague series as the St. Louis Cardinals pay a visit. Left hander James Paxton will make his season debut on the mound in the opener at 7:10, to be opposed by right hander Adam Wainwright (0-0, 7.20 ERA) for the Cardinals.
PORTLAND- In his Double A debut, Chase Meidroth hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead the Portland Sea Dogs to a 6-5 win over the Somerset Patriots Wednesday night at Hadlock Field in Eastern League action.
Portland (20-9) got off to a great start early as Nick Yorke led off the game with a solo homerun to left centerfield. Alex Binelas hit a long two-run homer to right in the second inning, and Meidroth got his first Double A hit and RBI with an infield single to make it 4-0 Sea Dogs. Somerset (18-10) came back against one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system in left hander Shane Drohan. The Patriots scored three times in the fifth on a long solo homerun by Tyler Hardman over the bullpen in right, and then RBI singles by Max Burt and top Yankees prospect Jasson Dominquez that would end the night for Drohan who got a no-decision. Portland scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to make it 5-3, but the guests sent it to extras on a Burt solo homerun in the seventh and a sacrifice fly from Harden in the eighth. With the runner placed on second base extra inning rule, the ‘Dogs got a bunt single by Tyler McDonough to put runners on first and third with no outs in the 10th. Corey Rosier followed by flying out and Yorke struckout, leaving it up to Meidroth. On a 2-1 pitch, Meidroth hit one over the head of right fielder Jeisson Rosario to end it in walkoff fashion. The third baseman had just been called up to Double A on Tuesday from Single A Greenville.
Drohan allowed three runs on five hits in 5.0 innings in his no-decision, walking three and striking out six. His ERA in six appearances stands at 1.32. Joely Rodriguez, who is on a rehab assignment and expected to be called up to Boston in the next few days, fired his third consecutive scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez (2-0) picked up the win. Meidroth had three hits and two RBI, while Yorke and McDonough had two hits each for Portland. Burt had three hits for Somerset and Dominquez had two. Indigo Diaz (0-1) took the loss in relief. The Sea Dogs lead in the Eastern League North Division is back to 1.5 games over the Patriots with four more games in this series remaining at Hadlock Field.
Recaps by Chris Lessner/Sea Dogs photos and video by Chris Lessner from Hadlock Field on Wednesday, May 10
The walkoff game winner by Meidroth:
