Swihart Doubles In 13th To Lift Red Sox Over Phillies 2-1
BOSTON (AP) — Blake Swihart doubled into the Red Sox bullpen to score Eduardo Nunez in the 13th inning and Boston beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Monday night to move a season-high six games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Hector Velazquez (7-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win and Austin Davis (1-1) took the loss after pitching a perfect 12th before allowing Nunez's leadoff single in the next inning. Luis Garcia, the 12th pitcher of the night, struck out Brock Holt but allowed Nunez to steal second.
Swihart lined the first pitch he saw toward the gap and into the bullpen on one hop for his first career walk-off RBI.
The Red Sox have won 19 of their last 23 games and matched their biggest lead in the division of the season. At 75-33, they have the best record in baseball and are 42 games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 1946 season. They have won 19 of their last 21 interleague games.
David Price allowed just one run — in the second when Asdrubal Cabrera led off with a double and scored on Maikel Franco's single off the Green Monster. It stayed 1-0 until the fifth, when Jackie Bradley Jr. singled and Nunez followed with a line drive that center fielder Odubel Herrera came in on, only to watch it sail over his head and to the wall for a triple.
Herrera doubled with two outs in the eighth, and Price walked Franco before Jorge Alfaro hit a sinking liner that right fielder Mookie Betts caught to end the inning.
FOR STARTERS
Price and Aaron Nola each went eight full innings but left the 1-1 game without a decision.
Price allowed one run on eight hits and a walk, striking out five. He had won his last five starts at Fenway and his last two overall.
Nola allowed one run on four hits and a walk, striking out six. He has given up five hits or fewer in 16 of his 22 starts but is winless over his last three starts.
OY, COMO VA?
The Phillies ran themselves out of a potential big inning when Carlos Santana hit a chopper to Nunez at third with runners on first and third. Rhys Hoskins got caught in a rundown on his way home, and Odubel Herrera tried to take advantage of it by scooting over to third.
But catcher Sandy Leon ran Hoskins back toward third and threw to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who tagged out Herrera and then threw home, where Nunez was waiting to tag Hoskins. Score the double play: 5-2-6-5.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Roman Quinn singled with two out in the ninth and tried to steal second on a 1-0 pitch to Scott Kingery. Leon's throw drew second baseman Holt off balance and Quinn was originally ruled safe. After the scoreboard showed the tag got Quinn's backside before he reached the bag, the Red Sox ran off the field. A few minutes later, the umpires confirmed that the inning was over.
IN MEMORY
Red Sox manager Alex Cora had the initials "A.A." written on his cap as a tribute to Ari Arteaga, the 16-year-old son of University of Miami pitching coach J.D. Arteaga who died in a car accident over the weekend. Cora and J.D. Arteaga were college teammates.
THE TEAMMATES
Cora and Phillies manager Gabe Kapler were teammates on the 2005-06 Red Sox. They each won a World Series title in Boston, Kapler in '04 and Cora in '07. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was also with Boston in 2004, and Rays manager Kevin Cash played for the Red Sox in 2007.
"I wish I can say we all got together and we talked about it, it wasn't the case," Cora said. "We were very passionate about the game, but to say we're going to manage whatever year — nah, I can't recall that."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (sprained right ankle) is only wearing a boot part time, allowing him to do more than just play catch. "It's not huge, not like he's getting on the mound. But it's a good step."
UP NEXT
LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-4) takes the mound for the Red Sox against RHP Jake Arrieta (8-6).
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