BOSTON — Hanley Ramirez was a hero in Boston on Thursday night.
After Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez dug a deep hole for his club, giving up four runs over just 2 1/3 innings, Boston looked to be out of this one. But with a late surge from the Red Sox’s offense, they were able to walk off with a 7-5 win thanks to a monster three-run homer by Ramirez.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Nail-biter.
The Red Sox looked as though they’d lost this game through most of the contest. They didn’t generate much offense, which didn’t help them overcome Rodriguez’s poor start. But Boston put runs on the board when it needed to, and with two outs in the ninth, the club was able to walk off.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Ramirez sent a baseball to the moon in the ninth.
OK, it wasn’t exactly to the moon, but the first baseman’s no-doubter to center field gave the Red Sox perhaps their most exciting win of the year.
ON THE BUMP
— Saying Rodriguez had a bad night would be an understatement. The Yankees beat up the left-hander from the get-go, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Even after getting two quick outs to start the second, Rodriguez gave up a double to first baseman Tyler Austin and hit Brett Gardner with a pitch before getting out of the jam. But manager John Farrell had seen enough in the third, when Rodriguez completely lost control and gave up a one-out single, followed by a double, followed by another single, followed by another double.
Rodriguez finished the night with four runs on eight hits with no walks and no strikeouts over just 2 1/3 innings.
— Heath Hembree relieved Rodriguez and got two quick outs to end the third frame. The right-hander got into some trouble in the fourth and a run crossed the plate on a Starlin Castro single, but it was unearned for Hembree thanks to some shaky defense.
Hembree wound up with one unearned run on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts over 1 2/3 innings.
— It’s not often you see Junichi Tazawa in the fifth inning, but he was strong in that frame Thursday. The right-hander gave off a leadoff double to shortstop Didi Gregorius, but he struck out the next three batters to end the threat.
— Robby Scott did his job and then some in the sixth and seventh innings, giving the Red Sox two 1-2-3 frames. Things got a little dicey in the eighth when the left-hander gave up a single and a walk with one out, but Scott got out of the inning unscathed, finishing with two hits allowed, one walk and one strikeout over three innings.
— Joe Kelly loaded up the bases with two singles and a walk but got out of the jam, striking out two along the way.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Did we mention Ramirez’s home run? The first baseman got his first hit in the ninth to go 1-for-5 with three RBIs, a run and a win.
— David Ortiz was a bright spot in the Red Sox’s lineup, too, going 3-for-4 with a ground-rule double, a solo home run, one run and three RBIs. Ortiz’s home run was the 537th of his career, passing Mickey Mantle for 17th on the all-time list.
— Andrew Benintendi also hit for extra bases. The left fielder went 1-for-3 with a double.
— Mookie Betts went 2-for-5 with an RBI single in the ninth inning and a run.
— Dustin Pedroia (1-for-4) and Sandy Leon (1-for-4) each hit a single. Pedroia walked and scored a run in the ninth.
— Xander Bogaerts went 0-for-4 with a walk, a fielder’s choice and a run, while Jackie Bradley Jr. went 0-for-1 with two walks and a run.
— Travis Shaw (0-for-3) went hitless but walked in the eighth inning.
— Aaron Hill pinch-hit for Bradley in the ninth and struck out. Chris Young pinch-hit for Benintendi and was hit by a pitch.
— Marco Hernandez earned a run after pinch-running for Ortiz in the ninth.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Thursday’s game had a rather unusual delay when a garage door in left field door was stuck open in the third inning.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox continue their series against the Yankees on Friday in another 7:10 p.m. ET matchup at Fenway Park. Clay Buchholz will start for Boston against rookie right-hander Luis Cessa.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images