Red Sox Outlast Phillies 2-1 in 13 Innings on Swihart Walk-off
BOSTON – Nine innings weren’t enough at Fenway Park Monday night
Or 10. Or 11. Or 12.
It took 13 innings, but the Red Sox eventually beat the Phillies 2-1 thanks to a walk-off, RBI ground-rule double from Blake Swihart.
For Swihart, the game-winning hit was yet another case for more regular playing time. The switch-hitting catcher, who asked for a trade earlier in the season due to his lack of playing time, now has a 10-game hitting streak and has shown signs of improvement defensively behind the plate.
Meanwhile, David Price turned in one of his finest outings of the season, holding the Phillies to one run in eight innings of work. The lefty struck out five, walked one, and gave up eight hits.
Red Sox starters have a 1.44 ERA in their last 11 starts.
Phillies ace Aaron Nola was equally strong, giving up just four hits in eight innings. The righty allowed one run, one walk, and struck out six.
The top five hitters in Boston’s order were 0-for-17 against Nola.
Tyler Thornburg, Ryan Brasier, Heath Hembree, Joe Kelly, and Hector Velazquez tossed five scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Boston.
How it happened:
Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco opened the scoring with a RBI single in the second.
The Phillies bailed the Red Sox out of the third inning by running into a double play. With runners at first and third with one out, Rhys Hoskins broke for home on a grounder to third, ending up in a rundown. As Hoskins went back toward third, Odubel Herrera tried to advance from second to third and was tagged out by Xander Bogaerts. Hoskins was then put out by Eduardo Nunez in a second rundown. The play went 5-2-6-5.
The Red Sox tied the game in the fifth on a triple to center by Nunez. Herrera, the centerfielder, appeared to overrun the ball in his attempt to catch it, allowing Jackie Bradley Jr. to score from first. The Sox left runners at the corners when Sandy Leon lined into a double play on a hit-and-run.
Price closed out his outing by stranding Phillies at first and second in the eighth.
Brock Holt led off the home half of the eighth with a double but didn’t advance any further. Nola forced a pop-up from Sandy Leon, struck out Mookie Betts swinging, and induced a fly ball from Andrew Benintendi to get out of the inning unharmed.
J.D. Martinez led off the ninth with a walk, but Mitch Moreland grounded into a double play, for all intents and purposes taking the Sox out of the inning.
With two outs in the 10th, Holt doubled again and stole third base to put the winning run 90 feet from home, but Swihart, pinch-hitting for Leon, flied out to left.
In the 13th, Nunez led off the inning with a single and stole second to get into scoring position. Holt wasn’t able to drive him in, but Swihart delivered with the walk-off double.
Up next:
The Sox and Phillies wrap up their brief two-game series Tuesday. Drew Pomeranz (1-4, 6.91 ERA) will face Jake Arrieta (8-6, 3.45 ERA).