POSTSEASON ROUNDUP
Sunday’s games AL Division Series Game 3 Red Sox 6, Rays 4 (13)
BOSTON – Saved by a bizarre bounce and an obscure ruling, the Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay Sunday night on a walk-off, two-run homer by Christian Vázquez in the 13th inning to move one victory from eliminating the 100-win Rays from the AL Division Series.
The wild-card Red Sox took a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five matchup. Game 4 is Monday at Fenway Park – Marathon Day in Boston – with Game 5 in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday, if necessary.
Tampa Bay rallied from a 4-2 deficit to tie it in the eighth inning and it was still 4-all when Yandy Diaz singled with one out in the 13th. Kevin Kiermaier lined a two-out shot to right-center that bounced off the short wall in front of the Red Sox bullpen, caromed off right fielder Hunter Renfroe and flew back into the bullpen as Renfroe leaped to try to keep it in play.
It’s a good thing he didn’t: After the umpires conferred and went to the headsets, they correctly awarded Kiermaier a ground rule double and sent Diaz, who had come all the way home, back to third.
Diaz was halfway from second to third and easily would have scored if the ball remained in play. But baseball Rule 5.05(a)(8) states: “Any bounding fair ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over or under a fence on fair or foul territory, in which case the batter and all runners shall be entitled to advance two bases.”
Nick Pivetta struck out Mike Zunino to end the inning, then came bounding off the mound in celebration.
AL Division Series Game 3 White Sox 12, Astros 6
CHICAGO – Two big swings by pintsized Leury García. A rule-testing run by Yasmani Grandal. Solid relief work from Liam Hendriks and company. Right when the Chicago White Sox got in big trouble, they found a way.
García and Grandal homered, and Grandal’s borderline baserunning helped the White Sox top the Houston Astros to stay alive in the best-of-five series.
Backed by a boisterous crowd of 40,288, the AL Central champions erased a 5-1 deficit in the franchise’s first home playoff game in 13 years, trimming Houston’s series edge to 2-1. Tim Anderson collected three more hits, and Ryan Tepera started a stellar finish for Chicago’s bullpen after Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech (1-0) struggled.
“It’s a real tough-minded bunch,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said, “and sometimes you get rewarded with a comeback like that.”
Houston was hoping to sweep its way into its fifth consecutive appearance in the AL Championship Series. The AL West champions got off to a fast start behind Kyle Tucker, but they went down in order in the last five innings.
Game 4 of the best-of-five series was scheduled for Monday afternoon, but there was rain in the forecast, and the game was postponed until Tuesday.