The Boston Red Sox have had a flair for the dramatic of late, and that trend continued Friday night at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox earned a 3-2 win in 11 innings thanks to a walk-off home run from Mitch Moreland to extend their winning streak to four games.
Though he didn’t get the win, Eduardo Rodriguez turned in a strong outing. The left-hander tossed six innings in which he allowed just two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
With the win, the Red Sox improve to 61-49, while the White Sox fall to 41-66.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Battle.
The Red Sox’s pitching staff got into a handful of jams, but it managed to limit the White Sox to just two runs.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Moreland blasted an opposite-field shot to walk the Red Sox off with the win.
ON THE BUMP
— Rodriguez got off to a fine start with a 1-2-3 first inning, and would have posted a perfect frame in the second had it not been for a Xander Bogaerts error. The left-hander wouldn’t allow his first hit until the third, but the White Sox finally got to Rodriguez in the fourth.
Jose Abreu led off the inning with a double, and Leury Garcia reached base via walk two batters later. Rodriguez nearly left both runners stranded, but Nicky Delmonico flared a two-RBI double off the Green Monster to give Chicago an early edge.
Rodriguez would respond with clean fifth and sixth innings, but with a steep pitch count, the lefty wouldn’t see the seventh.
— Addison Reed followed Rodriguez and tossed a scoreless inning.
— Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts.
— Craig Kimbrel would allow two runners to reach base in the ninth, but managed to post a scoreless frame in a non-save situation.
— Brandon Workman allowed one hit in a scoreless 10th inning.
— Heath Hembree dodged two singles to lead off the 11th and tossed a scoreless inning.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— White Sox starter Carlos Rodon stymied the Red Sox through four innings, but a series of hits in the fifth inning got Boston on the scoreboard.
Rafael Devers kicked things off with a single up the middle, followed by a base knock off the bat of Bogaerts. And with a runner in scoring position, Chris Young smacked the Red Sox’s third consecutive hit in the frame to score Devers and cut Chicago’s lead to 2-1.
After a Christian Vazquez strikeout, Jackie Bradley Jr. singled to load the bases. But Boston would come up empty after a Mookie Betts groundout and an Andrew Benintendi inning-ending strikeout.
— After squandering a golden opportunity in the fifth inning, the Red Sox wouldn’t waste any time making up for it in the sixth. Eduardo Nunez led off the frame with a colossal shot over the Green Monster to even the score at 2-2.
— Moreland sent Red Sox fans home happy when he lifted a walk-off blast over the Green Monster in the 11th.
TWEET OF THE DAY
It was photo day at Fenway.
Capturing the official 2017 photo! 📸
👻 Behind-the-scenes Snaps: redsox pic.twitter.com/JXIiDxz7KG
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 4, 2017
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and White Sox will play Game 3 of their four-game series Saturday night. Drew Pomeranz is scheduled to get the ball for Boston and will be countered by Chicago’s James Shields. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
