While it wasn’t ideal, the Red Sox got it done. They’ll be hosting the Yankees in the AL Wild Card game Tuesday after the two clubs finished with matching 92-70 records, but Boston beat New York in the season series.
It was quite a dramatic win for the Sox. Chris Sale couldn’t make it out of the third inning, as he allowed a pair of doubles in the second before walking in a run in the third. Luckily for the Sox, Hirokazu Sawamura got out of the jam.
Rafael Devers put the Sox on the board with a solo homer in the fourth. But Washington would answer back, tallying a three-run fifth off Garrett Richards with an RBI groundout from Jordy Mercer, and a two-run double off the bat of Alex Avila.
But, Boston wasn’t done just yet. In the seventh, Devers roped a sharp two-RBI single into center, cutting the deficit to just one. Alex Verdugo then came through, with a game-tying, two-RBI double.
Garrett Whitlock and Eduardo Rodriguez tossed back-to-back clean frames, and Devers came through yet again in the ninth, with a clutch, two-run big fly — which drove in Kyle Schwarber after he reached base, luckily, on an error.
Nick Pivetta was able to then shut the door, hurling a 1-2-3 ninth to capture the victory.
(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)