BOSTON -- A golden opportunity (bases loaded, nobody out) in the bottom of the eighth inning fell short for the Red Sox, which only made it more satisfying when they staged a furious comeback in the ninth to walk off the Giants, 3-2, on Saturday night at Fenway Park.
Wilyer Abreu, who struck out in his first four at-bats, hit a hard grounder down to first with the bases loaded and one out. Bryce Eldridge made a diving stop and swiftly threw home, but it pulled catcher Andrew Knizner off the plate. Abreu had himself a walk-off fielder’s choice RBI.
The play was reviewed at the request of the Giants, but to no avail.
Facing lefty Sam Hentges, pinch-hitter Eli White came through with a one-out RBI single to shrink the two-run deficit to a run.
Nick Sogard brought Fenway to its feet when he ripped a game-tying RBI double off the Green Monster.
The Giants intentionally walked Ceddanne Rafaela with the bases loaded to put the game in Abreu’s hands. And he did just enough to win it. Here are three takeaways from this stunner:
1. Sandoval grinds to keep Sox in it
At least early on, this wasn’t the prettiest of nights for Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who gave up homers to Willy Adames and No. 9 hitter Knizner. He also had to battle out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third inning. But Sandoval finished strong, retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.
Overall, Sandoval gave up two runs on five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings, striking out six while stretching out to a season-high of 93 pitches in his return from Tommy John surgery. This was a much better outing for Sandoval than the previous two, when he gave up an aggregate 17 hits and 11 runs over 10 innings.
2. Sogard saves run in eighth, ties it in ninth
Sogard continues to make plays for the Red Sox. With the Giants rallying in the ninth, Sogard made a diving stop on a lineout to keep it a 2-0 game.
3. Durbin adds another gem on defense
Third baseman Caleb Durbin did nothing to dissuade the notion he will win his first Gold Glove Award in his second season. With the Red Sox trying to hang in the game in the top of the eighth, Durbin ranged to his left and made a brilliant diving stop on a grounder by Osleivis Basabe and fired to second for the force. It likely saved a run as Jung Hoo Lee followed with a single to right that put runners at the corners with two outs. Thanks to Durbin, the score stayed 2-0.