Red Sox lose on walk-off despite Eduardo Rodriguez's no-hit bid
Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew. Here we’ll look at the top performers of the night, show you a must-see highlight and rundown the scoreboard. First, we start with a game you need to know about.
For 23 outs, everything seemed to be coming up Boston Red Sox during Sunday’s game. On the mound, lefty pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez had not allowed a hit against the Oakland Athletics.
Baseball, however, can be cruel. With the game tied 0-0, and Rodriguez four outs away from history, the Red Sox’s luck ran out. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien picked up the club’s first hit on an infield single with two outs in the eighth.
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The ball was hit softly back up the middle, and Rodriguez stuck his foot out to stop it. By the time he was able to gather himself and make the throw to first, Semien had beaten it to the base. It wasn’t called that way initially, but replay confirmed Semien was safe. Rodriguez was able to get out of the inning without allowing any runs, but the club wouldn’t be so fortunate in the ninth.
Because he had thrown 110 pitches, Rodriguez was lifted from the contest after eight inning, making way for closer Craig Kimbrel. The right-hander walked Danny Valencia on five pitches, and then gave up a walk-off double to Khris Davis on the next pitch.
With that, the game was over. After carrying a no-hitter deep into the contest, the Red Sox somehow lost the game 1-0.
The defeat dropped Boston to second place in the American League East.They remain a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the division lead, but currently hold a two game lead on the first wild card spot in the AL.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jose Abreu: Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu may have gotten off to a sluggish start this season, but he’s finally hitting like everyone expected. Sunday’s 13-11 win over the Minnesota Twins proved as much. Abreu was an absolute monster during the game, smashing two home runs. The first came in the first inning. Abreu drove in three runs to give Chicago the early lead. That wouldn’t be enough, though. The Twins roared back, meaning Abreu would again have to try to give his team the lead. He chipped in an RBI single in the fifth, and then added another three-run homer in the seventh inning. His contributions eventually paid off, as the team came back and won the game in extras. Abreu finished 3-for-7, with two runs scored and seven RBI.
Julio Teheran: Atlanta Braves pitcher Julio Teheran has been one of the few bright spots on a bad team this season. He continued to show that during Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Teheran tossed six shutout innings against Philadelphia. He allowed just five hits and two walks during the outing. Teheran struck out seven. With the win, he lowered his ERA to 3.01, and improved to 5-9 on the year.
Yasiel Puig: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig is back, and it looks like his short stint in the minors was just what he needed. Puig smashed a three-run homer to give Los Angeles an early lead during Sunday’s 7-4 win over the San Diego Padres. He also walked twice during the contest, showing patience he hadn’t displayed much early in the season. He finished 1-for-3, with three runs scored and three RBI. After a disastrous start to the year, Puig is now hitting a much more respectable .265 on the year.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
Miami Marlins’ regular shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is known for his defensive prowess, but his backup, Miguel Rojas, isn’t too bad either. Rojas proved as much during Sunday’s 6-5 loss against the Cleveland Indians.
With a man on second inn the bottom of the seventh inning, Lonnie Chisenhall hit a hard shot near short. Rojas had been shaded over toward second to hold the runner, and had to range to his right and then dive back in order to make the stop. He then hopped to his feet, pivoted and fired a strike to first to nail Chisenhall in time. Though Miami eventually lost, Rojas’ defensive play definitely stopped a hit and possibly another run from coming across.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Blue Jays 5, Rays 3: Toronto was able to mount a late comeback against Tampa Bay. A Devon Travis single tied things up in the seventh and a Russell Martin two-run shot broke the game open in the eighth.
Cardinals 5, Reds 2: Randal Grichuk and Kolten Wong gave the Cardinals an early lead with home runs. Carlos Martinez allowed two runs over six innings.
Yankees 5, Orioles 2: Wade Miley was tagged for four earned runs over five innings. He walked four and struck out four during the loss.
Brewers 10, Pirates 0: Domingo Santana went 3-for-5, with two home runs in the win. Chase Anderson went threw five scoreless innings.
Tigers 6, Royals 5: Justin Upton doubled to give Detroit the lead early, and then hit a two-run homer to take back the lead in the top of the eighth.
Cubs 3, Giants 2: Jason Heyward played the hero. His ninth inning single tied things up, sending the game into extras. His 13th inning walk-off single won the contest for Chicago.
Astros 7, Rangers 6: Houston tagged Yu Darvish for five runs over four innings. Ken Giles was able to pick up the save despite giving up a run in the ninth.
Angels 4, Mariners 2: Matt Shoemaker left the contest in the second inning after being hit in the head with a line drive. He was conscious and speaking, but will spend the night in a Seattle hospital after suffering a skull fracture.
Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 5: Jean Segura went 3-for-4, with two runs scored and two steals during the win. Archie Bradley allowed two runs over six solid innings.
Mets 5, Nationals 1: Seth Lugo gave up just one run over seven strong innings. Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce hit home runs for New York.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
