Field Level Media
May 5, 2018
Hanley Ramirez lifted a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning after Joe Kelly worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth as the Boston Red Sox edged the Texas Rangers 6-5 on Saturday night.
Kelly (1-0) entered with the bases-loaded after the Red Sox intentionally walked Nomar Mazara. Kelly fanned Joey Gallo on a 98 mph fastball, and ended an 11-pitch at-bat by striking out Jurickson Profar looking on another 98 mph fastball.
With one out in the ninth off Keone Kela (2-2), Andrew Benintendi barely missed a homer and settled for a standup triple off the right-center field fence. Four pitches later, Ramirez lifted a fly ball to center field and Benintendi easily scored when Delino Deshields Jr's throw went up the line.
Craig Kimbrel finished off Boston's seventh win in 11 games by retiring the side in the ninth for his 300th career save and ninth this season. He joined Minnesota's Fernando Rodney as the second active pitcher with at least 300 saves and also became the first player to reach 300 saves before turning 30.
The Rangers blew leads of 4-1 and 5-3 and wasted two mammoth homers by Gallo and a three-run homer by DeShields. Gallo recorded his fifth career multi-homer game when he connected in the second and sixth innings off Eduardo Rodriguez on blasts that traveled 466 and 415 feet, respectively.
Benintendi hit an RBI infield single and added a run-scoring bloop double that scored Mookie Betts. J.D. Martinez added an RBI single, while former Rangers' first baseman Mitch Moreland hit a two-run homer.
Cole Hamels allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits in six innings and was in line for the win before Alex Claudio faltered in the seventh.
Rodriguez allowed five runs on four hits in six innings. He recorded his second career double-digit strikeout game with 10 strikeouts but also allowed three homers.
Gallo made it 1-0 by launching Rodriguez's 1-2 changeup over a popcorn stand beyond the right field seats with one out in the second.
The Red Sox tied the game in the fifth when Benintendi hit an infield single that eluded second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Texas took a 4-1 lead when DeShields hit a first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats with two outs in the fifth.
Moreland made it a one-run game with one out in the sixth when he lifted a 1-1 fastball just over the top of the right field fence and slightly out of the reach of Shin-Soo Choo's attempt at a leaping catch.
Gallo made it 5-3 with a drive off the façade off the upper deck on a 1-1 slider.
Boston tied the game with one out in the seventh on Benintendi's double and Martinez's single up the middle.
--Field Level Media