The Boston Red Sox took advantage of an error made by the Tampa Bay Rays that opened the door for their lineup to take the lead.
The Boston Red Sox capped off the four-game weekend series with the Tampa Bay Rays with a win on Patriot’s Day, the turning point of which came all the way back in the second inning.
The play of the game wasn’t actually made by the Red Sox, but rather a play that the Rays failed to make.
With two outs in the second inning and Sandy Leon standing on first base, Marco Hernandez hit a dribbler to the left side that appeared to be a routine ground out. Shortstop Tim Beckham scooped the ball and delivered a throw on target to second baseman Brad Miller for the force that should have ended the inning.
Except Miller couldn’t handle the throw. He got to the bag in plenty of time, with his foot planted on second base as he waited for the ball to arrive, only for it to bounce out of his glove. The runners were safe, keeping the inning alive.
Play of the game so far. #RedSox scored 3 runs after this error that should have ended the inning. pic.twitter.com/oCnJeaygoe
— Sean Penney (@spenney83) April 17, 2017
The Red Sox would make them pay.
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Dustin Pedroia drew a walk, which brought Andrew Benintendi to the plate with the bases loaded. The rookie had yet to record a hit in that situation in his young career, but that streak was emphatically snapped with a base hit up the middle to drive in a pair.
Mookie Betts would tack on another run with a base hit to left to drive in Pedroia, giving the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.
The offense sputtered the rest of the way and wasn’t able to produce more insurance runs, making that three-run inning back in the second a pivotal part of the game.
Instead of retiring the side and keeping Tampa’s lead intact, Miller’s error opened the floodgates for a big inning by the Red Sox that proved to be the deciding factor in this victory.
Next: Rodriguez out on paternity leave
Stay tuned for more post-game analysis on BoSox Injection from this Marathon Monday win!