On Friday night the Red Sox destroyed the Padres 11-0. On Saturday night Boston showed it doesn't need a blowout to win in San Diego.
Red Sox 2nd baseman Brock Holt broke a 4-4 tie in the 9th inning with a solo home run off Padres All-Star closer Kirby Yates to give Boston a 5-4 win after it looked like the home team was going to pull off an comeback W.
Boston built a 4-0 lead against Padres starter Dinelson Lamet. In the 4th inning Eric Hosmer hit a 2-run home run off Nathan Eovaldi to run his team-leading RBI total to 84 and cut the lead in half. Luis Urias followed with an RBI groundout to make it 4-3.
With one out in the 7th inning former Aztec star Ty France tied it with a single that brought home Urias and make it a 4-4 game. But after that the Friars managed just one more hit, an 8th inning single by Urias, and struck out five times.
In the top of the 9th Padres Manager Andy Green decided to go to Yates despite it not being a save situation. It amazes me how often that strategy backfires for closers across the game. Holt hit the first pitch Yates threw over the right field wall for the game-winning dinger.
Padres lefty Joey Lucchesi will be tasked with trying to avoid a sweep when he takes the mound against Boston lefty Brian Johnson on Sunday afternoon.
