The Red Sox are playoff bound!
Jim Monaghan
Content Coordinator
From the "Be Careful What You Wish For Department" - BRING ON THE YANKEES!
The Red Sox punched their ticket to the 2021 postseason, and the top Wild Card spot with another one of their trademark come-from-behind victories in Game 162 Sunday afternoon against the Nationals in Washington.
On a day when Chris Sale made an early exit - he was gone with one out in the bottom of the third inning after throwing 62 pitches and putting his team in a 2-0 hole, Rafael Devers and the bullpen ultimately saw to it that this team would not be denied.
Rafael Devers hit his 37th home run of the year in the top of the top of the fourth, and maybe you were thinking that a comeback was in the offing.
Those hopes were probably dashed when the Nationals put up a three spot in the bottom of the fifth inning off reliever Garrett Richards.
Oh ye of little faith.
Christian Vazquez singled home a run in the sixth to make it 5-2.
Devers went back to work in the seventh with an RBI single, followed by a two-RBI double by Alex Verdugo to tie the game.
And then that Devers kid showed up again.
His two-run home run to dead center in the top of the ninth proved to be the difference in Boston's 7-5 win.
For all of Devers' heroics, the bullpen simply cannot be overlooked. Manager Alex Cora's combination of Martin Perez, Garrett Whitlock, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Nick Pivetta totalled four no-hit, scoreless innings with just one walk.
Boston will meet the Yankees in the Wild Card game Tuesday night at Fenway Park with Nathan Eovaldi pitching against Gerrit Cole for the right to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division series.
Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.
Content Coordinator
From the "Be Careful What You Wish For Department" - BRING ON THE YANKEES!
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| Photo courtesy of USA Today |
The Red Sox punched their ticket to the 2021 postseason, and the top Wild Card spot with another one of their trademark come-from-behind victories in Game 162 Sunday afternoon against the Nationals in Washington.
On a day when Chris Sale made an early exit - he was gone with one out in the bottom of the third inning after throwing 62 pitches and putting his team in a 2-0 hole, Rafael Devers and the bullpen ultimately saw to it that this team would not be denied.
Rafael Devers hit his 37th home run of the year in the top of the top of the fourth, and maybe you were thinking that a comeback was in the offing.
Those hopes were probably dashed when the Nationals put up a three spot in the bottom of the fifth inning off reliever Garrett Richards.
Oh ye of little faith.
Christian Vazquez singled home a run in the sixth to make it 5-2.
Devers went back to work in the seventh with an RBI single, followed by a two-RBI double by Alex Verdugo to tie the game.
And then that Devers kid showed up again.
His two-run home run to dead center in the top of the ninth proved to be the difference in Boston's 7-5 win.
For all of Devers' heroics, the bullpen simply cannot be overlooked. Manager Alex Cora's combination of Martin Perez, Garrett Whitlock, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Nick Pivetta totalled four no-hit, scoreless innings with just one walk.
Boston will meet the Yankees in the Wild Card game Tuesday night at Fenway Park with Nathan Eovaldi pitching against Gerrit Cole for the right to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division series.
Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.
