Top five thrilling Red Sox comebacks of 2014

There’s no denying the Red Sox are in the midst of one of the most dismal seasons in the team’s history. Even though the defending World Series Champions have faced their share of defeat and their current 58-75 record lands them in last place in the American League East, it is important to remember that there were a few games this year actually worth watching. Occasionally, this team has put together some exciting last-minute wins that made us wonder why they can’t do it more often. Here are five of this season’s most memorable battles to the finish.

Apr 20, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman

(15) reacts after scoring the winning run during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

For many reasons, the Red Sox’ April 20th walk-off victory at Fenway Park was their most meaningful. Not only was it Easter Sunday, but it was also the night before the 2014 Boston Marathon, and the Red Sox honored the victims of the 2013 Marathon bombing in a touching on-field ceremony before the game.

The emotional nature of the day seemed to inspire the Red Sox because they were able to take a five-run deficit and turn it into a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth inning. Trailing by a daunting 5-0 margin, Boston rallied to score three runs in the sixth on a homer from Jonny Gomes, and followed with two more runs in the seventh to even things up.

With the score still tied in the ninth and the bases loaded, Mike Carp drove in the winning run in anticlimactic fashion: He lined out to left field. Pedroia, on his game as always, tagged up at third and scored on an errant throw from left fielder David Lough. 

However, Gomes’ rally-propelling home run in the sixth put his team in the position to win and made him the hero in the team’s first walk-off of the season. Gomes was just proud to be a part of the bigger picture of the day: “Another emotional roller coaster here at Fenway; tear jerker there for a minute,” he said after the game. “Man, I was just going coattails on the celebration before the game…It was a little bit of a kickstart for us.”

It certainly capped off the day perfectly and is now a nice memory of how fresh and full of potential this season once was.

Jul 10, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; The Boston Red Sox mob first baseman

(third from right) after hitting in the winning run against the Chicago White Sox during the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Only a few hours later, the Red Sox did it again with a 4-3 comeback win over the White Sox, this time in ten innings.

This victory came with help from Mike Carp, making his first appearance since recovering from a broken foot. He entered the game to pinch hit in the ninth and ended up driving a single to left field to drive in Nava for the win.

The comeback was exciting, but the events leading up to this win were also not lacking in drama. After Boston starter Jon Lester gave up a run to the White Sox in the first, he quickly found his groove and finished his outing with 12 strikeouts. White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana had a perfect game going through five innings before he walked Stephen Drew and David Ross in the sixth. Then Jackie Bradley Jr.’s RBI single ended the no-hit bid and David Ortiz followed with a double to score Ross and Bradley and give the Red Sox the 3-1 lead.

With his team’s lead was still intact, Uehara took the mound in the ninth looking to shut down the White Sox and secure the win.

But that would be too easy.

Instead, the closer surrendered a single to Alexei Ramirez and a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie to tie the score at three.

The battle continued into the tenth, when Carp came through with his game-winning hit.

Aug 25, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox shortstop

(right) gets congratulated by third baseman

(16) after scoring the winning run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Boston defeated Toronto 4-3 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox put together another pair of exciting consecutive come-from-behind wins this past week and showed that they still have some fight left in them now that the season is a lost cause.

In their 4-3 win over the struggling Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, Boston entered the ninth with a three-run lead, but Uehara was at it again with his apparent love of theatrics of extra innings, and blew yet another save. To be fair, Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz was responsible for loading the bases in the ninth, but it was Uehara who gave up the double to Edwin Encarnacion to tie the score.

The Red Sox scored their first three runs in fifth inning, the first of which came off the bat of Mookie Betts. And just when you thought you would never hear another “La Luna!” from Don Orsillo, Pedroia crushed a two-run moon shot, his sixth of the year.

But it was The Legend of Brock Holt who came through the in the tenth with a base hit. He then stole two bases to conveniently put himself in position to score the go-ahead run when Yoenis Cespedes stepped up and singled to center field for the lead and, ultimately, the win. 

Aug 26, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox designated hitter

(12) is congratulated by short stop Brock Holt (26) after hitting a three run home run in the eleventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

So rarely do the Red Sox score seven runs in a game, or even over the span of three games, that when they do so in one inning, to add to the four runs they already had, to win the game in eleven innings, it is an overwhelming reality to comprehend.

But that is exactly what they did in Tuesday’s 11-7 win over the Blue Jays to complete their second set of consecutive comeback wins this season.

After pulling ahead 3-0 in the first inning, with help from yet another “La Luna!” from Pedroia, Toronto scored a run in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to tie the score. Each team scored again in the seventh and the game was destined for extra frames at that point. After scoreless innings through the tenth, the Red Sox exploded in the eleventh with home runs from Mike Napoli and Allen Craig, and piled up more than enough runs for the win.

The moral of the story is that there is still life in this team and, although this season is all but over for them, once in a while it’s refreshing to watch a game that still feels like it matters.