Mookie Betts lifts Red Sox to another amazing late inning comeback
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.
The 2016 Boston Red Sox appear to have a flair for the dramatic. A day after pulling off an incredible ninth inning win against the Los Angeles Angels, the Red Sox were at it again. This time, however, they chose a different target: The Seattle Mariners.
The comeback started in the eighth inning. With the Red Sox trailing 1-0, infielder Aaron Hill managed a solo home run against James Paxton to tie things up. Paxton was able to get through the rest of the frame unscathed, leaving the Red Sox to face Mariners closer Steve Cishek in the ninth.
Outfielder Mookie Betts wasn’t impressed. Betts led off the ninth inning with a solo shot of his own, smacking an 89 mph sinker out to left.
That brought Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel into the game for the bottom of the ninth. Though Kyle Seager managed to reach on a dropped third strike, Kimbrel made quick work of the Mariners, giving the Red Sox the 2-1 win.
Following the victory, Red Sox fans received even more great news. Shortly after the game, it was announced that the team would be calling up prospect Andrew Benintendi.
The 22-year-old outfielder is hitting .312/.378/.532 over 418 plate appearances over two minor-league levels. He’s currently playing at Double-A, and will skip Triple-A with the call up. Benintendi is expected to meet up with the team in Seattle on Tuesday, and will make his first major-league start Wednesday. He’s expected to platoon in left field for now.
TOP PERFORMERS
Max Kepler: Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler turned in the best game of his young career during Monday’s 12-5 win over the Cleveland Indians. Kepler hit and incredible three home runs during the contest, each of which drove in Joe Mauer. Kepler also singled during the game, finished 4-for-6, with three runs scored and six RBI.
Danny Duffy: Kansas City Royals starter Danny Duffy nearly tossed a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays during Monday’s 3-0 victory. Duffy carried the no-hitter into the eighth, but outfielder Desmond Jennings singled to lead off the frame. Duffy would have to settle for allowing one hit over eight exceptional innings. The lefty walked just one hitter and set a new career-high with 16 strikeouts in the win.
Kyle Hendricks: Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks baffled the Miami Marlins during Monday’s 3-0 victory. Hendricks tossed a complete game shutout. The 26-year-old righty allowed seven hits and three walks during the contest. He struck out five. With the win, Hendricks improved to 10-7.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner may have been a little too excited to take on the crosstown rival New York Mets on Monday. Gardner kicked things off on the right track, belting a fly ball to deep center during the game’s first at-bat. Justin Ruggiano tracked the ball to the wall, but attempted to play it off the bounce.
That didn’t work. The ball hit the wall and got away from Ruggiano. Right fielder Curtis Granderson was wisely there to cover for Ruggiano, but Gardner was already hustling around the bases. With all the excitement built up, it’s possible Gardner took things too far. He attempted to sprint home for an inside-the-park home run on the first play of the game.
That wasn’t going to happen. Granderson’s relay throw went directly to second baseman Neil Walker, who rifled a perfect throw to catcher Travis d’Arnaud at the plate. d’Arnaud made the catch, and applied the tag before Gardner could make it. The Yankees wound up picking up the 6-5 win, so Gardner’s early gaffe didn’t figure into the final result.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Astros 2, Blue Jays 1: Carlos Correa struck in extras again. With Jose Altuve on first, Correa doubled to deep right center in the 14th inning to give Houston the walk-off win.
Nationals 14, Diamondbacks 1: The Nationals amassed 19 hits in the blowout. Nine different Nats managed at least one RBI during the contest.
Padres 7, Brewers 3: San Diego jumped all over Jimmy Nelson, tagging him for six earned runs in just four innings.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
