It took until the ninth inning of the 162nd game of the season, but the 2021 Boston Red Sox officially qualified for the 2021 postseason Sunday by way of a 7-5 victory over the Washington Nationals.
And they can thank the bat of Rafael Devers for the opportunity to play a 163rd game.
Tied at 5-5 in the top of the ninth inning, an error put Kyle Schwarber on base and gave Devers a chance to play hero against the Nats’ Kyle Finnegan. And tossed a splitter, Devers absolutely smashed his 38th homer of the season to deep center field, gave Boston a much-needed two-run edge entering the bottom of the ninth.
FOREVER AND DEVERS! pic.twitter.com/GzN3QGW6H1
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 3, 2021
It was just the most impactful hit of an afternoon that required more than a few of ’em after the Red Sox found themselves in a 5-1 hole through five innings of play at Nationals Park, and with ace Chris Sale on the mound no less.
Prior to Devers’ go-ahead blast, it was a two-run double from Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo in the top of the seventh that knotted things back up at 5-5, and put the Red Sox back even in a win-and-in contest.
BRAND. NEW. GAME. pic.twitter.com/sXSMtoBHg0
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 3, 2021
So in a day headlined by potential chaos with a four-way tie for the wild card possible when action began, dramatic wins by the Yankees and Red Sox made the day simple enough, and has set the stage for a winner-take-all contest between the sides at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.
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Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.