Pedroia's Single Wins It In 11th; Red Sox Beat Phillies 6-5
BOSTON (AP) — Dustin Pedroia may have had to run a lot harder from his teammates than he did on his game-winning hit.
Pedroia singled home the winning run in the 11th inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 comeback win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Pablo Sandoval opened the inning with a single off Casey Fein (0-1). Deven Marrero pinch-ran and moved up on a sacrifice. After Mookie Betts was intentionally walked, Pedroia hit a ground single to right and Marrero beat the throw from Aaron Altherr with a headfirst slide on a close play.
After he turned first, Pedroia sprinted hard to foul territory just beyond the Red Sox dugout before his teammates caught him to celebrate.
"I saw some big guys coming at me and I'm like my first instincts were to get the heck out of the way," he said after his second career walk-off hit.
Pedroia's other game-ender came nearly seven years ago — June 19, 2010 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Red Sox go for another series victory against the Phillies when the two-game interleague set concludes Tuesday. Boston is 11-1-2 in its last 14 since 2004.
Hanley Ramirez had tied the game 5-5 in the eighth with a homer. Betts had four hits with three doubles and a single, and Andrew Benintendi also hit a solo homer for Boston, which has won three of four.
Tommy Joseph had a two-run single and former Red Sox Daniel Nava three hits for the Phillies, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games in Fenway Park.
"We played them tough, had chances to win," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
Matt Barnes (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts.
"Tonight's a big team win," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "So many guys chipping in, from a big night from Mookie at the top of the order, two critical and crucial innings by Matt Barnes after he's been worked fairly heavy of late. Panda (Sandoval) with a key base hit to lead off the final inning."
Philadelphia's Jerad Eickhoff remained winless after 13 starts, giving up four runs on seven hits in six innings. He was in line to get the win before Ramirez homered over the Green Monster off Joaquin Benoit. Cliff Lee was the last Phillies' pitcher start a season winless in his initial 13 starts, opening 2012.
"It was tough. I was trying to keep us in the game as best I could," Eickhoff said. "These guys did a really good job of getting us out to a good lead."
Eickhoff entered with the majors' lowest run support at 2.37 per game, but the Phillies took care of that right away, jumping ahead 4-0 in the first when Joseph's two-run single sparked the fast start.
Rick Porcello gave up five runs on 10 hits in six innings.
Boston rallied with a run in the second, two in third and one in the fourth. Benintendi hit his homer into the center-field bleachers in the second and had an RBI single the next inning.
Betts' third double of the game, a liner into the left-field corner, tied it.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: Triple-A prospect OF/SS Roman Quinn won't need surgery on his sprained left elbow after getting a second opinion by Dr. James Andrews.
Red Sox: Third baseman Sandoval's return to his starting position has been slowed since he missed a month with a sprained right knee. He didn't start for the third straight and has started eight since he was activated off the 10-day DL on May 30, batting just .185 with a homer.
ANNIVERSARY
Exactly seven-years ago Nava hit a grand slam on the first pitch of his first plate appearance while playing for the Red Sox in Fenway.
Signed as an amateur free agent by Boston in January 2008, he was part of its 2013 World Series championship team.
RUNNING WILD
Howie Kendrick had three stolen bases in the first five innings, matching his career high.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Ben Lively (1-1, 2.57 ERA) makes his third major-league start Tuesday.
Red Sox: LHP David Price (1-1, 5.29) looks to rebound from a rough outing when he gave up six runs in five innings against the Yankees on Thursday.
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