The Red Sox Were Trailing 7-1 In The 8th Inning With Their Day Game After A Night Game Lineup And Still Won Anyway To Sweep The Braves
Alex Cora put out his day game after a night game lineup on Wednesday, started a mop-up reliever, the Red Sox trailed by six runs going into the eighth inning, and Boston won that game on a two-run homer by a guy who was playing in his first game in the big leagues this season. You know how many teams had won a game this season after being down by six runs or more going into the eighth inning? Zero. Now there’s one.
This ain’t a knock on the Atlanta Braves, so let’s get that right out there. The Braves are a very, very good team, who are only going to get better. And this isn’t big brother patting little brother on the head after showing him who’s boss, either. Nothing but respect to the Braves, whose window has only begun to open. But there’s no denying that the Braves needed that win, and the Red Sox went out there and snatched that victory from them because that’s just what the Red Sox do. They win baseball games.
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Hector Velazquez started this game, and gave up a hit to the first four batters that he faced. Ronald Acuña hit a leadoff home run, his eighth leadoff bomb of the season, and it was two-nothing before the fans even got to their seats. Not a great start for not that great of a pitcher. Don’t worry, though. Drew Pomeranz to the rescue! Get this guy off my team. Like, seriously. What is it that you would say you do here, Drew?
This absolute bum pitched a THIRD of an inning, allowed FIVE earned runs on three hits and walked two guys, bringing his ERA back up over six again. Why are you on this team? Bobby Poyner, who should’ve been on the roster all year, is back. Robby Scott, who I hate, is in the bullpen again. And Brian Johnson will likely go back to the bullpen once Chris Sale returns. The Red Sox have plenty of lefties out there. I fundamentally do not understand Pomeranz’s existence within the realm of this team.
Thanks to Drew “Nails” Pomeranz, the Red Sox trailed 7-1 after five innings. I was already writing the blog in my head about how the Red Sox threw a dog shit lineup out there and a reliever as a starter because they had already won the series, and then the eighth inning happened. I should’ve never doubted them. That’s on me. In the top of the eighth inning, the Red Sox batted for nearly forty minutes, sending twelve men to the plate, who collectively put six runs on the board to tie the game.
Let me say this one more time — teams who were trailing by six runs or more going into the eighth inning this season were a combined 0-487. The Red Sox had some work to do before they could be the one in four hundred eighty-seven and one. Brandon Workman came on to pitch in the bottom half, and gave up a two-out solo home run to NL MVP candidate Freddie Freeman, which put the Braves back out in front, 8-7. Workman has been removed from the list effective immediately.
With one out in the ninth, Andrew Benintendi ripped an 0-2 single into centerfield, his third hit of the day. But after Steve Pearce punched out, it was looking like Boston’s magic had dried up. That was until Brandon Phillips came to the plate, who was playing in his first big league game since last season. The first pitch to Dat Dude BP — BANG. Acuña didn’t even turn around to watch it leave.
Complete with a pimp job in the batters box and making it rain across home plate, welcome to Boston, Brandon Phillips. My God. Remember that whole “the Red Sox can’t beat good teams” thing? That was funny. With the win, the Red Sox complete their sweep of the first-place Braves and take five of six from them on the year. After being swept by the Rays last month, the first and only time they’ve been swept all season, the Red Sox have won seven of their last nine games, the best winning percentage in baseball.
They have the best winning percentage in baseball on the whole year, too, but you already knew that.
Final score: Red Sox 9, Braves 8
