Field Level Media
Aug 29, 2019
Xander Bogaerts hit two of Boston's four home runs, Eduardo Rodriguez won his third straight start, and the Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 7-4 on Wednesday night in Denver.
J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers also homered, and Rodriguez (16-5) extended his scoreless streak to 20 innings before giving up his first run in three starts. Boston moved within five games of the second American League wild-card position, currently held by the Oakland A's.
Devers and Bogaerts each had three hits while Martinez and Christian Vazquez had two apiece for Boston. Rodriguez allowed three runs on nine hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings.
Brandon Workman struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth for his ninth save of the season. Colorado's Charlie Blackmon and manager Bud Black were ejected by plate umpire Jerry Meals for arguing a called third strike that produced the first out of the inning.
Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Tony Wolters and Yonathan Daza had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who have lost eight of their past 10.
The game was scoreless until the third inning. With one out, Devers tripled to right, and after Bogaerts grounded out, Martinez hit his 32nd homer to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.
Colorado got one back in the fourth. Ian Desmond led off with a walk, Daza singled with one out, and Wolters hit into a forceout to put runners on the corners. Garrett Hampson then beat out a bunt to Devers at third base, allowing Desmond to score to make it 2-1.
Devers singled with one out in the fifth, Bogaerts homered to right-center, and Martinez singled to chase starter Peter Lambert (2-5). Sam Howard walked Mitch Moreland, then struck out Brock Holt.
Jesus Tinoco replaced Howard and allowed Vazquez's RBI single that made it 5-1.
The Rockies scored twice in the bottom of the inning when Arenado singled with one out, moved to third on Desmond's double and scored on Daza's two-out base hit. Wolters singled to score Desmond to make it 5-3.
Bogaerts got a run back in the seventh when he hit his 30th home run. It was also his 100th RBI of the season.
Arenado led off the bottom of the inning with a double, moved to third on Desmond's groundout and scored on Ryan McMahon's grounder to second.
Devers led off the top of the ninth with his 28th homer to increase Boston's lead to three runs.
Lambert surrendered five runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
--Field Level Media