Red Sox 9, Blue Jays 8: Xander Bogaerts ignites ninth-inning comeback in walk-off victory

The Red Sox may not have much to play for over the next three weeks, but they’ll take any positive they can get.

Down by a run going into the bottom of the ninth, the Red Sox battled back, winning in walk-off fashion after Yairo Munoz’s infield hit scored Christian Vazquez from third to complete a comeback 9-8 victory over the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

“Pretty fun,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. “I don’t care what our record is at any time, it’s pretty fun winning a game like that.”

Here were the takeaways as the Red Sox moved to 14-27:

Red Sox come up with big hit

A night after Roenicke bemoaned his team’s inability to come up with a clutch hit in a loss to the Jays, they did so on Saturday night. Xander Bogaerts might have had the biggest one of them all.

The shortstop was 3 for his last 24 when he came to the plate to lead off the ninth as the Red Sox trailed by a run, needing a clutch hit. After drawing the count full on Anthony Bass, Bogaerts took a slider deep to left-center for a game-tying, 412-foot homer.

Though he continued to struggle Saturday, starting the game 0-for-4, it was a needed positive that the Red Sox hope can Bogaerts going.

“You could see he was a little bit off even in at-bats previous to that, so good for him,” Roenicke said. “Hopefully he’s locked in again, and he’s done a nice job for us, so when he gets a little messed up for a couple days, that’s no big deal.”

Two batters later, after J.D. Martinez walked and Vazquez reached on a fielder’s choice, the Red Sox’ catcher stole second before advancing to third on a throwing error. Then, with the infield in, Munoz hit a chopper to third baseman Travis Shaw, whose throw home wasn’t on line as Vazquez slid in safely, igniting a celebration around Munoz in right field.

Roenicke would not reveal if Vazquez’s run from first to third was a designed hit-and-run play.

“It was just Vazqy being head’s up and trying to do something and so good job by him,” the manager said. “Sometimes I don’t like to say what things are when they happen just because I don’t want the other team to know exactly what we’re doing.”

Bullpen spoils Ryan Weber’s strong day

The standard isn’t too high for Red Sox pitching right now, but Ryan Weber still joined exclusive company on Saturday by completing five innings. It only took 41 games for someone other than Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez to achieve the feat.

But the reason that standard isn’t high quickly showed itself after Weber left with a 6-2 Red Sox lead in hand, as Josh Taylor and Phillips Valdez combined to give up six over the sixth and seventh innings as the lead unraveled into an 8-6 deficit. Taylor, who had seemed to figure things out after four consecutive scoreless outings, gave up a walk and three hits, including a mammoth three-run homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that made it 6-5.

Valdez, who has been one of the best stories for the Red Sox this season, couldn’t put the fire out as he surrendered two walks and four hits, including the go-ahead RBI double to Joe Panik. He left the bases loaded for Robert Stock, who let in an RBI single before getting out of jam.

Valdez has given up six runs over his last two appearances but somehow, his 3.18 ERA is still the best on the team.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is starting one of those hot stretches

Bradley Jr. is staying with the Red Sox at least another three weeks after he surprisingly wasn’t dealt, and he seems focused on making the most of it.

No one could use a better month than Bradley, who seems poised to test free agency when his contract expires at the end of the season, and the center fielder looks to be picking the right time to showcase his all-around game and flash at the plate with one of his patented hot stretches after he hit another homer, a two-run shot in the second inning as part of the Red Sox’ three-homer barrage in the frame.

Bradley, whose average fell to .211 as he slumped in August, has been heating up of late. His homer extended his hitting streak to eight games and he’s now batting .297 (19-for-64) with five homers and 14 RBIs over his last 19 games to go along with usually outstanding defense.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3jKacdc