Sox edge Rays in extras
Overcome big night by Franco in MLB debut
Wander Franco mania arrived with a bang at Tropicana Field, but the Red Sox survived.
In one of the most-hyped debuts in recent baseball history, Franco — the topranked prospect in baseball — announced his arrival to the show emphatically as he hit a game-tying three-run home run, but the Red Sox prevailed, using a four-run rally in the 11th to beat the Rays, 9-5, at Tropicana Field in a wild first game of their pivotal three-game series.
The victory helped the Red Sox (44-29) increase their American League East lead to 1 K games as they sent the Rays to their seventh loss in a row.
After Franco produced the game-tying shot in the fifth, the Red Sox and Rays didn’t give an inch until the 11th, when Rafael Devers hit a two-run double down the right-field line — through the legs of first baseman Yandy Diaz — that started a four-run inning. Connor Wong was called on as a pinch runner for his MLB debut and scored the gamewinning run on Devers’ double, and Darwinzon Hernandez ultimately closed the door for the Red Sox’ 25th come-from-behind victory of the season.
The result of this game was almost never certain.
In a 5-5 game in the eighth, Adam Ottavino worked out of some danger to come up with a big inning-ending strikeout. Matt Barnes did the same in the ninth, using a little bit of luck along the way and striking out Austin Meadows to force extras.
The Red Sox ran into some outs in the 10th. With Bobby Dalbec at third and no outs, Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks threw two straight wild pitches, and Dalbec took off on the second one. But Fairbanks got home in time to block Dalbec’s path to the plate and tag him out.
Then, after electing to intentionally walk Alex Verdugo, Fairbanks struck out J.D. Martinez and catcher Mike Zunino threw out Verdugo trying to steal second to end the inning. An excited Fairbanks showed some emotion toward the Red Sox dugout as he walked off the field.
The Red Sox got a break in the bottom of the inning after Hirokazu Sawamura intentionally walked Joey Wendle to put runners at first and second with one out. Zunino hit a ground ball that Devers booted at third, but Brett Phillips inexplicably retreated back to second for the easy force out at third as the Sox got out unscathed.
Eduardo Rodriguez overcame an early 2-0 deficit, thanks largely to some ugly defense behind him, and looked good over the first four innings. But as has often been the case for the Red Sox lefty this season, it was a tease.
The Red Sox led 5-2 in the fifth when, almost expectedly, it got away from Rodriguez. He hit leadoff hitter Kevin Kiermaier with a pitch, then yielded a single to Yandy Diaz. Then, Franco delivered in his debut. Rodriguez’s first-pitch slider wasn’t a bad pitch, but the 20-year-old Franco got underneath it and showcased his oozing talent with one swing, powering a three-run, game-tying home run to the left-field seats.
The homer was Franco’s first career big-league hit, and it was a big one. He raised his right arm in the air as he rounded first, earning a deservedly loud ovation from the crowd at Tropicana Field.
For Rodriguez, it was more frustration. He had his moments, striking out seven and walking just one, and he retired nine of 10 batters he faced from the second to fourth innings. He ultimately completed six innings for the first time since May 12 as he threw 90 pitches. But the homer to Franco served as a microcosm of his season as he once again couldn’t quite put it all together.