Walk-off win over Rays sends Red Sox to ALCS

Enrique Hernandez hit a walkoff sacrifice fly in the ninth inning as the Boston Red Sox eliminated the Tampa Bay Rays with a 6-5 victory in Game 4 of the American League Division Series late Monday, advancing to the AL Championship Series.

Christian Vazquez led off bottom of the ninth with a single and advanced to second on Christian Arroyo’s sacrifice bunt. Pinch hitter Travis Shaw reached on an infield single before pinch runner Danny Santana easily scored from third on Hernandez’s sac fly to left against Rays reliever J.P. Feyereisen (0-1).

Boston will face the winner of the other AL Division Series between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox. Game 4 of that series was set for Tuesday afternoon after the contest was postponed due to the weather in Chicago on Monday. Houston led the series 2-1.

The Red Sox are headed back to the ALCS for the first time since winning their ninth World Series title in 2018.

“Not too many people gave us a chance from the get-go, but we believe,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’re still in the dance, we’re still in the tournament.”

Also, Evan Longoria’s fifth-inning home run was all the offense the San Francisco Giants needed as they moved one victory away from a spot in the National League Championship Series with a 1-0 victory over the host Los Angeles Dodgers.

In Atlanta, Joc Pederson belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning to lift the Braves to a 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of their series, with Atlanta holding 2-1 lead heading into Tuesay’s Game 4. (Reuters)