Red Sox walk Rays to the exit in Game 4
Tampa knocked out after 100-win season, Hernandez delivers
BOSTON—Kiké Hernandez delivered Boston’s second straight walk-off win, scoring pinchrunner Danny Santana with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to send the Red Sox to the AL Championship Series with a 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
After winning Game 3 of their best-of-five AL Division Series on Sunday with Christian Vázquez’s two-run homer in the 13th, Boston took Game 4 for its first set of consecutive walk-off post-season wins since 2004 ALCS Games 4 and 5, both courtesy of David Ortiz against the Yankees.
Rafael Devers had a three-run home run off rookie Shane McClanahan to ignite a five-run third inning that put Boston in front 5-0.
Tampa Bay battled back and tied it in the eighth.
The wild-card Red Sox will await the winner of the other ALDS matchup between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox. Houston leads 2-1.
“Since day one, you guys believed in this group,” manager Alex Cora told his players before setting off a bubbly clubhouse celebration.
“Not too many people believed outside this frigging clubhouse, but here we are: ALCS! On to the next one!”
The Red Sox improved to 15-3 in potential clinching post-season games and have won each of their last eight. It brings an abrupt end to the season for the Rays, who’d been eyeing backto-back trips to the World Series after winning 100 games during the regular season and rolling to the AL East title.
“There’s no doubt there’s disappointment,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.
“We had high aspirations to get deep into this thing. We ran into a Red Sox team that, they just beat us — no other way around it. They got the big hits.”
Vázquez led off the ninth with a single through the hole to left field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Christian Arroyo. Travis Shaw then hit a bouncing ground ball to third that went for an infield single when Yandy Díaz bounced his difficult throw to first baseman Ji-Man Choi. Vázquez got to third and Santana ran for him.
Hernandez, who was 9 for 20 in the series, scored Santana with a fly ball to left.
“All I got to do is bring in the run from third,” Hernandez said. “And having Danny at third instead of Vazqy eased my mind a little bit.”
Rays post-season star Randy Arozarena ripped a tying single with no outs in the eighth inning of Ryan Brasier and advanced to second on the throw. Garrett Whitlock relieved and got through the eighth without further damage, then pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.
Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed two runs and three hits with six strikeouts over five innings, plus one batter. It was redemption after he lasted just 1 2⁄3 innings and gave up two runs in Boston’s 5-1 loss in Game 1.
Devers finished with three hits. Wander Franco had a tworun homer for the Rays.
After being solid on the mound throughout 2021 and in a Game 1 win, the Red Sox outscoring the Rays 26-15 in the last three games.