RED SOX

Gritty character carried Red Sox to Game 3 win over Rays

Bill Koch
The Providence Journal
The Red Sox's Christian Vazquez runs around the bases after hitting a two-run, walk-off home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 13th inning of Game 3 in the ALDS, giving Boston a 2-1 series lead on Sunday night.

BOSTON — To solely credit the rule book for Sunday night's victory is to miss out on the personality that has come to define the 2021 Red Sox. 

As much as a big-market team can be, Boston is an edgy bunch. This 49th comeback victory — most in the big leagues — is a testament to the sandpaper included in their character. 

More:Taking charge: Boston's dramatic 6-4 win in 13 innings over Tampa Bay gives them a 2-1 ALDS lead

Christian Vazquez’s two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning gave the Red Sox a 6-4 win in front of a delirious sellout crowd at Fenway Park. His two-run shot to the Monster Seats came after the Rays had the apparent go-ahead run taken off the board in the top half of the inning. 

“Play a good game and play the elements,” said Kiké Hernandez, who went 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored. “We took care of home-field advantage. It came our way. We did what we had to do to win this game.” 

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 13th inning of Game 3 in the 2021 ALDS on Sunday night.

That included going to likely Game 4 starter Nick Pivetta in relief. The right-hander came on for the top of the 10th and fired four scoreless frames, striking out seven. It was shades of Nathan Eovaldi sacrificing his own Game 4 start to take part in that historic 2018 World Series game at Dodger Stadium. 

“We were all in, and they know it,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We texted all the starters yesterday — ‘Spikes on.’ They understand what that is. We might do it differently than other teams, but when you get to that stage you take it day by day.” 

This one won’t be soon forgotten by the 37,224 fans on hand — or the thousands of others, maybe five decades from now, who claim they were in the building on this night. There are too many reasons to list how we got here, but let’s try to hit on a few. 

Kike Hernandez circles the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning in Game 3 of the ALDS at Fenway Park.

Pivetta shined in relief again 

Game 1 saw him come out of the bullpen for 4 2/3 frames in a 5-0 loss. Pivetta was tasked with preserving the rest of Boston’s arms to attack Game 2 and earn a road split at Tropicana Field. The Red Sox did exactly that the following night, dishing out a 14-6 thumping. 

Nobody in the ballpark had to guess what Pivetta was thinking as he went about his work. He fist-pumped, bunny-hopped and high-stepped his way back to the home dugout after escaping a couple of jams, including the two men he stranded in the 13th. 

“My energy just shows what this means to me and means to our team,” Pivetta said. “It’s really exciting. It’s fun to be here.” 

Boston’s bullpen has allowed just six earned runs in 22 1/3 innings in this series — that's a 2.42 ERA. Pivetta and Tanner Houck have absorbed the bulk of the work, and they’ve performed splendidly. 

Boston pitcher Nick Pivetta reacts after striking out Tampa Bay first baseman Jordan Luplow (not pictured) to end the top half of the 11th  inning on Sunday night.

Hernandez is incandescent at the moment

He set a Red Sox record and tied a Major League Baseball mark by lining a leadoff solo homer to Lansdowne Street in the bottom of the fifth inning. It turned out to be critical insurance. 

“We’re going to grind it out,” Hernandez said. “We’re going to be relentless.” 

The laser off Rays right-hander Pete Fairbanks was the seventh straight at-bat with a hit for Hernandez, which was a postseason best for Boston. That also matched Billy Hatcher (Reds, 1990) and Derek Jeter (Yankees, 2005-06) for the longest playoff streak in the game’s history. Hernandez’s round-tripper made it a 4-2 game, and the Red Sox wound up needing that extra run later on. 

Hernandez lined to third leading off the bottom of the seventh, but to say he had done enough damage to that point would be an understatement. The center fielder was on an 8-for-9 binge dating back to Game 2 that included two home runs and three doubles. 

Eovaldi steadied himself after allowing a two-run homer to Austin Meadows. That came just three batters into the game and handed the Rays a quick 2-0 lead. 

Tampa Bay hitters followed with an 0-for-13 stretch and struck out seven times before a Joey Wendle double in the top of the fifth. Eovaldi departed after Wander Franco bounced to first, stranding the tying run in scoring position. 

Eovaldi walked one against eight strikeouts. He induced 16 swings-and-misses on 85 pitches. His postseason earned-run average actually climbed to 1.93 — that’s the kind of standard he’s set through 32 2/3 frames. Boston has lost in just one of his eight October appearances, the historic Game 3 against the Dodgers. 

Kevin Cash was aggressive with his relievers to give the Rays a chance in the late innings. Andrew Kittredge, the de facto closer for Tampa Bay, was summoned with two outs in the bottom of the third. 

It was a 3-2 game at that point with two men aboard. Kittredge fanned a swinging J.D. Martinez as part of his 1 1/3 scoreless frames. Drew Rasmussen recorded only two more outs despite serving as the starter for the Rays. 

Kittredge ended the regular season with eight saves, tops on a club that had 14 pitchers record one and six pitchers notch at least two. Diego Castillo racked up 14 saves prior to his deadline trade to Seattle. 

Need a contrast from another playoff club? The White Sox had just five pitchers record a save and only two — Liam Hendriks and Aaron Bummer — finish with more than one. Hendriks closed with 38 after signing as a free agent from Oakland and Bummer ended with exactly two. 

Sam Holbrook will sleep well after this one 

The home plate umpire and crew chief was steadfast in his conviction the correct call was made on the Kevin Kiermaier ground-rule double in the top of the 13th. The six-man group conferred on the field and went to video review before Kiermaier was placed at second base and Yandy Diaz was sent back to third. 

“It’s in the rule book,” Holbrook said. “It’s a ground-rule double. There’s no discretion that the umpires have.” 

Cash didn’t argue after the explanation for the call was offered. There was no gray area into which Holbrook could have ventured, and the outcome was the only one the crew could have reached.  

bkoch@providencejournal.com  

On Twitter: @BillKoch25