4 takeaways as Masataka Yoshida powers Red Sox to 4-3 win, series sweep, over A’s
His clutch homer in the eighth lifted Boston to its eighth win in nine games.
COMMENTARY
A day after convincingly thumping the Athletics, the Red Sox had to work much harder to grind out Sunday’s series finale.
In the end, the result was the same, as they found a way to secure the sweep. Boston rallied from a two-run deficit to earn a 4-3 victory at Fenway Park. Masataka Yoshida’s timely solo homer over the Green Monster in the eighth was ultimately the difference.
The Red Sox (48-43) head into the All-Star break winners of five straight and eight of their last nine. They have the American League’s best record since June 14 (15-8) and are five games above .500 for the first time since late May.
This one wasn’t picturesque, but it didn’t have to be, as they outlasted the Athletics (25-67) in a game that didn’t start out in their favor.
“It was a tough game today,” reliever Joely Rodriguez said, through a translator. “It wasn’t like the first two games we had in the series. It was good to be able to come away with a win.”
Here are four takeaways from the series finale:
Masataka Yoshida was the man of the hour.
Yoshida scored the tying run and delivered the winning run, coming through in the clutch for a team that needed a lift.
His homer came on a high fastball. He said it could have been a fly out, but instead, he managed to get just enough.
“That was awesome,” Yoshida said, through a translator. “I think that’s the best result I could have thought of.”
He has seven-straight multi-hit games (.529 average) – the longest streak in the majors this season – and now has 10 homers on the season.
Yoshida has been as good as advertised and then some. His heroics Sunday were simply the latest example.
“That situation is really important and serious, so I was happy,” Yoshida said.
The Red Sox started slowly.
Long before Yoshida’s clutch dinger, Boston scored one in the first, on a sacrifice fly from Adam Duvall that plated Rob Refsnyder, but didn’t register a hit off starter JP Sears until the fifth inning.
Sears tossed five innings, allowing only a double to Justin Turner while striking out four. He did walk three and hit two, but the Red Sox couldn’t capitalize on the miscues.
Oakland, meanwhile, scored in the first off Tayler Scott, the second off Chris Murphy, and the fifth off Josh Winckowski to build a 3-1 edge.
Manager Alex Cora mixed and matched all afternoon, and it worked well enough to keep the Red Sox in the game. Even when they were down, it never felt as though they were out of it. They just needed a break.
They rallied to tie it in the sixth.
As soon as Sears departed, the Red Sox pounced on right-handed reliever Paul Blackburn. Duvall blasted a solo shot over the Monster to slice it to one, extending his hitting streak to four games and reaching 500 career RBIs.
Yoshida then blooped a single to center, stole second, and hustled to third on an errant throw. Christian Arroyo brought him home on a well-struck double that soared over the right-fielder’s head.
Arroyo has 15 extra-base hits in his last 30 games after recording three in his first 22 games.
Suddenly, after looking just about lifeless through five, the Red Sox were right back in the game.
They kept the momentum rolling.
Rodriguez, a left-hander who entered with an 18.00 ERA in limited action, came in with runners on first and second and no outs in the seventh.
Cora noted that he hit 93 on his fastball for the first time this season, and his two strikeouts came at a pivotal juncture. He calmly retired the side and screamed with conviction as he strutted off the mound.
“It means a lot to me,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a very special day.”
The Red Sox went down quietly in the seventh, winning pitcher Chris Martin (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth, then Yoshida dug deep to find some magic.
All-Star closer Kenley Jansen earned his 19th save – with some help from Connor Wong, who gunned a runner out at second – and that was that.
The Red Sox are now just one game behind the Yankees for the final Wild Card spot – a reality few fans would have thought possible earlier in the season. Cora is encouraged by what he’s seen, but he isn’t ready to make any bold declarations just yet.
“It’s a good feeling, but we’ve got work to do,” Cora said. “We’re still last in the American League East.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com