The Boston Red Sox faced the Atlanta Braves yesterday in a very exhilarating game, bringing out the desire to win in each team.
The game did not get off to a hot start for the Red Sox, as the Braves took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning from a Ronald Acuña home run and a Nick Markakis RBI-single.
Brock Holt would get one back for the Red Sox on a groundout that scored new man Brandon Phillips. Phillips was recently brought up from the Pawtucket PawSox as their season had ended and the MLB veteran brings experience and depth to the Red Sox lineup. Phillips would go on to make a great first impression for the Red Sox in Atlanta, batting 1-3 with a home run, two RBI’s, three runs, and two walks on the day.
The fifth inning would be the Red Sox demise, as Drew Pomeranz would pitch 0.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on three hits and two walks to give the Braves a 7-1 lead. Pomeranz, who was moved into the bullpen after poor performances in the starting rotation has lost a lot of trust in the Red Sox fan base and continued to lose more from his horrible showing in Atlanta.
But the Red Sox would show tenacity and a will to win as the offense would come alive in the eighth inning. Blake Swihart would get the scoring started with a two-RBI double, followed up by an Andrew Benintendi RBI single. A Steve Pearce sac-fly and Ian Kinsler two-RBI single would bring the game even for the Red Sox at 7-7.
Many fans hopes were quickly ripped away as Freddie Freeman would blast a home run 410 feet to right center field giving the Braves an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. But Phillips would make sure his first day in a Red Sox uniform would be remembered as he would hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning giving the Red Sox the 9-8 victory over the Braves.
It was not the first time an Atlanta team gave up the lead to a Massachusetts team, and it most certainly won’t be the last.
