Red Sox beat Braves, 9-8, on Phillips’ homer in the 9th

Veteran infielder wins it with a homer in the ninth in his debut for Boston

Atlanta — Already a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, Brandon Phillips learned this summer as a 37-year-old minor leaguer to relish playing baseball "until I wake up."

Added Phillips: "I'm still dreaming."

Phillips' two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning off A.J. Minter highlighted his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday and capped the biggest comeback by the Boston Red Sox this year for a 9-8 win over the Atlanta Braves.

"Honestly that was the most fun I've had all season, just watching the last few innings," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

Phillips took a big swing and then rocked back as he watched the ball head toward the left field seats.

"My favorite part was the lean-back that he had," teammate Brock Holt said.

Said Minter: "I missed by an inch with the pitch and he made me pay."

After the game Phillips stood at his locker, attempting to untangle chains left knotted when Red Sox players dumped a cooler filled with a sports drink over his head. He kept grinning even when he gave up on solving the knot.

"For us to come back like we did, that was amazing," Phillips said.

The Red Sox overcame a late six-run deficit and seesawed past Atlanta to sweep the three-game series between division leaders.

Boston, with the best record in the majors, scored six times in the eighth to make it 7-all. After Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer with two outs in the Braves eighth, the Red Sox bounced back for their 97th win this year.

Phillips sat out the first half of this year, signed a minor league contract with Boston in late June and was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday. He didn't play that night, but started at second base in the final game of the interleague set.

and Siragusa downed Matthew Shea in the semifinals.

In the women's club championship, Caroline Petchark of Waterford defeated Karen Anderson, a two-time champion and runnerup each of the last three years. She also won the junior club title. Catherine Guinn was the flight champion.

Jim Stefanski beat Jim O'Neill to win the men's senior club championship. O'Neill finished first in the men's first flight while Tom Poblete won the second flight and Bob Fournier took the third flight.

In other results, Tim Haggerty and Bill Mayo combined to win the men's Four Ball title and Deb Cook and Guinn won the women's Four Ball. Walt and Rachel Deane captured the Mixed Team Championship.

• Lake of Isles in North Stonington recently crowned its club champions on the weekend of Aug. 25-26. In the men's tournament on the South Course, Kenny McGinley was the gross division winner and Chris Anderson took the net division while Mark Gilluly won the senior gross division and Will Orkney placed first in the senior net competition.

Eleanor McKay won the gross division in the women's club championship tournament and Susan Swain was the net champion. Linda Drago (senior gross) and Lorraine Tiberii (senior net) won their respective events.

• Mitchell Etess owns bragging rights for the second straight year at Old Lyme Country Club. Etess, the defending men's club champion, beat Bill Jacaruso, 3&2, on Monday.

It was his third straight trip to the final. Etess earned runnerup status in 2016 before capturing last year's title for his first club championship victory in about 10 years.

• Brian Quilter enjoyed home course advantage at the Connecticut Section Assistant PGA Championship Tuesday at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme. He finished tied for sixth with a two-round total of 9-over 151 (80-71). Winner Michael Jezierski of Raceway Golf Club posted a three-shot victory with a 3-over 145 (72-73).

• Adam Rainaud, a former Black Hall Club assistant, is back in the state after working as an assistant at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He's the head pro at New Canaan Country Club. What hasn't change is his golf game.

Rainaud won his third Connecticut PGA Championship Wednesday at Keney Park Golf Course in Hartford. The three-time Connecticut Section PGA player of the year (2014-2016) fired a course-record tying 62 in the first round and a 70 in the second round to finish at 8-under 132. He won by three shots.

Upcoming events

• Connecticut National Golf Club in Putnam is hosting the 37th Senior Four-Ball Championship on Thursday, Sept. 13.

• The Mohegan Sun Golf Club in Baltic is the site of the Connecticut PGA Pro-Veteran event on Wednesday, Sept. 19.