Game 3 of the American League Divisional Series between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays took 13 innings, five hours and 14 minutes, 98 batters and 16 pitchers to complete on Sunday night. It was a game filled with plenty of momentum shifts, but the Red Sox were able to send the 37,224 fans in attendance at Fenway Park home with a smile on their face with a 6-4 victory. The Red Sox currently have a 2-1 lead in the series and will look to clinch the five-game series tonight.
The Rays jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning behind an Austin Meadows two-run home run. The Red Sox got one back in the bottom half of the inning after first baseman Kyle Schwarber hit a lead-off solo home run.
Enrique Hernandez and Rafael Devers each drove in one run in the third inning to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead while Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was settling in. Eovaldi found himself in a groove after a rocky first inning, finishing the day with eight strikeouts. Eovaldi didn’t allow another run in his five innings of work after the Meadows home run.
Hernandez continued to stay hot with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Red Sox an insurance run. With the score at 4-2, the Red Sox and Rays each went scoreless for two innings. In the top of the eighth inning, the Red Sox sent out relief pitcher Hansel Robles, who has become a dependable option for manager Alex Cora, but last night was an outing he would like to have back.
Rays shortstop Wander Franco hit an opposite field home run to left-center field to cut the Boston lead to 4-3. Then Meadows made his mark again on this game with a double to put the tieing run on second base. After Robles got a pair of outs it appeared he had calmed down and would sneak the Red Sox out of the inning with a small lead. But Rays superstar rookie Randy Arozarena had other plans and continued his strong series with an RBI double to tie the game 4-4.
The game would eventually head into extra innings. Nick Pivetta, who was slated to be the Red Sox starting pitcher in tonight’s game, came in and pitched a flawless four innings. Pivetta struck out seven batters while walking just one. He only allowed three hits.
In the top of the 13th inning Pivetta and the Red Sox caught a break. Rays centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier ripped a shot to deep right field with Yandy Diaz on first base. The ball appeared to have more than enough distance to bring Diaz around the bases to give Tampa Bay a 5-4 lead.
But the ball ricocheted off the top of the short right field wall, bounced off Red Sox right fielder Hunter Renfroe’s chest, and went over the wall and out of play. After the umpiring crew consulted with one another and the MLB offices in New York, the hit was ruled a ground rule double, putting Diaz back on third base and Kiermaier on second base, keeping it a 4-4 game.
Pivetta shook it off and took advantage of the break he was given by striking out Rays catcher Mike Zunino swinging to leave the inning without allowing a run.
The Red Sox rode that momentum into the bottom half of the inning and wouldn’t let the game continue any further.
Catcher Christian Vazquez, who didn’t start the game for Boston, came to the plate with Renfroe on first base. Vazquez anticipated the first pitch fastball the Rays had been throwing Red Sox hitters all night long and made Rays pitcher Luis Pitino pay by hitting a two-run home run over the Green Monster to send the Red Sox home 6-4 winners of an instant October classic at Fenway Park.
It has not been revealed who will start game four for the Red Sox, but the game will begin today at 7:07 pm with the Red Sox in position to punch their ticket to the ALCS.
