Bogaerts' blooper helps Sox knock off Giants

June 8th, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO -- Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking two-run single off Giants closer Santiago Casilla in the the 10th inning and the Red Sox's bullpen pitched four scoreless frames in a 5-3 comeback victory Tuesday night at AT&T Park.
"He gives himself an opportunity to cover the whole plate against a lot of pitchers," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Bogaerts. "He's going to put the bat on the ball."
Game on the line, Xander delivers
Bogaerts also had an RBI single while Dustin Pedroia singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest active streak in the Majors. Mookie Betts added two hits, including a key bunt that loaded the bases in the 10th two batters before Bogaerts' game-winning hit.
"We did a number of little things well," Farrell said. "Heads up baserunning by Chris Young bought us an extra inning, the bullpen was outstanding and Mookie puts down a sacrifice bunt and ends up beating it out."
Jarrett Parker homered for the Giants, who managed just two baserunners over the final seven innings.
"Casilla was out there for a second inning, doesn't do that very often," said San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, whose club fell to 4-4 in extra-inning games this season. "It looked like he was close to getting out of it. He had two strikes on the hitter and [Bogaerts] just blooped one in."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Mookie factor: For a leadoff hitter with power, Betts isn't asked to bunt very much. The situation called for it in the 10th inning though. Farrell called for a sacrifice bunt, and Betts turned it into a single.

"He lays down the perfect bunt," Farrell said. "It was perfectly placed and the inning continues to build."
Filling the gap: Bochy had to patch together a lineup that was without two of its top hitters (Buster Posey, Hunter Pence) and got a big boost from Parker, the reserve outfielder who helped plug the power gap with his second homer in three days. Parker's leadoff home run in the third came in his first career at-bat against Red Sox starter Rick Porcello.
"I don't think it's anything too crazy," Posey said of his injury. "It's something I've dealt with off and on." More >
Double play kills a rally: After allowing the first four batters to reach base safely in the fourth, including a bases-loaded walk to Brandon Crawford, Porcello induced Gregor Blanco to hit into a double play and then retired Parker on an infield grounder. Although the Giants took a 3-2 lead, it could have been worse.
"I felt good the whole game," Porcello said. "I got myself in a bit of a jam there. The key to that inning was not letting them clear the bases on us."

Farrell said as much afterward.
"Parker goes down and hits a good pitch and then he minimizes the damage in the fourth, allowing just the two runs," he said.
He missed the tag: The Giants were on the verge of getting out of the seventh without any damage when Red Sox pinch-hitter David Ortiz appeared to ground into an inning-ending double play. But Crawford, who fielded Ortiz's grounder, missed the tag on Young, who had alertly slowed down between first and second before diving under Crawford's glove then scrambling to second. Jackie Bradley Jr., on third after a walk, stolen base and error, scored the tying run on the play.

"Those little things catch up to you," Bochy said. "We walked a guy after a stolen base and an error, and that gave them a cheap run there." More >
QUOTABLE
"I was in panic mode and thought just get to the ground as fast as possible." -- Young, on avoiding Crawford's tag in the seventh inning
WHAT'S NEXT
Red Sox: Left-hander David Price (7-2, 4.88 ERA) lost his last outing, but has produced five consecutive quality starts as he prepares to make his 13th start Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 10:15 p.m. ET.
Giants: Ace Madison Bumgarner (7-2, 1.91 ERA) makes only his second career start against the Red Sox in Wednesday's 7:15 p.m. PT series finale at AT&T Park. Bumgarner is on a six-game winning streak, which ties the longest of his career.
Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.