Travis Shaw Hits a Walk-Off Grand Slam, Red Sox Win a Wild One

Title Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images

This was a wild one folks! Up 3-1 in the top of the ninth inning, Matt Barnes blows the save spectacularly, and the Rangers tie the game! Here is the recap of one of the wilder games of the year!

The first 8 innings were all Boston. In the fifth, they turned the strangest double play ever… It was a 1-2-6-7 DP, with Kyle Schwaber tagging out a runner between first and second. Nasty Nate Eovaldi pitched 7 innings of one-run ball, 0 ER, 7 punchouts, and 0 bases on balls.

Adam Ottovino pitched the 8th in his typical fashion, giving up a hit, a walk, and almost giving every person in Red Sox nation a heart attack, as he does on a nightly basis… The Sox got their 3 runs on an Alex Verdugo 2-run Johnson (as Eck says),

and Hunter Renfroe with an absolute bomb into the Monster seats.

Closer Matt Barnes came in and it all went down the drain…

First Nate Lowe hit a rocket to Travis Shaw’s right, and The Mayor couldn’t make the play. Barnes got a K, but then gave up another hit. With one out, men on first and second, there was a ball hit up the middle by Texas. Xander Bogaerts (give this man a gold glove!!!!), made a dive, and stopped the ball. Using his glove, he flipped the ball to Christain Arroyo. Arroyo took his eye off it when he tried to barehand it, and all men were safe! Bases loaded, one out, Andy Ibanez hit a ground-rule double to tie the ballgame! Barnesy was out, and Alex Cora called on rookie Garrett Whitlock. Whitty got 2 K’s to end the ninth.

In the 10th inning, Nate Lowe hit an RBI single to put the Rangers ahead. At this point in time, I shut off the TV, and gave up all hope. But all hope wasn’t lost… Raffy Devers hit a towering drive to the triangle, and it hit off of Rangers center fielder, DJ Peters’ glove, and tied the game!

In the 11th inning, Whitlock held the Rangers scoreless, and gave the Sox the chase to end it. Christain Vazquez, and Verdugo got on base, and that gave Travis Shaw a chance with the bases juiced, and no outs. On a 3-2, center-cut fastball, Shaw launched into the stands, his first hit since coming back to Boston, giving the Sox an 8-4 W.

This was the best game of the year, besides the Yankees comeback. This was a huge game to win as well, since Boston has been falling in the standings. As for tomorrow, Tanner Houck goes to open the Twins series, and Chris Sale pitches on Thursday. (Chris, if you’re reading this, I’m going, and I hope to see you become 1-1 when I go to watch you pitch [Sale lost 4-1 to the Braves in 2018 when I went]). Anyway, This was a great game, and the Red Sox have to use this for momentum, otherwise it will cost them their season...