Mookie Betts Provides Walk-Off Heroics for Red Sox

(Photo Source: Yawkey Way Report)

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Mookie Betts put together another impressive game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Monday night, including the walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to drive in Xander Bogaerts for the winning run.

Joe Kelly took the mound for the Red Sox and struggled out of the gate, allowing three runs to score in the bottom of the first inning. He allowed single runs to score in the third and fourth innings, and left the game after six complete allowing five earned runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara provided three scoreless innings of relief in support of Kelly.

Betts led off the game for the Red Sox with a tough at-bat against Toronto's starter, Aaron Sanchez, drawing a walk on seven pitches, before being caught trying to steal second by Blue Jays' catcher Russell Martin. After David Ortiz doubled with one out in the inning to set up men on second and third, Pablo Sandoval drove them both in to bring Boston within one run. Sandoval added a solo home run, his second long-ball of the year, in the fourth.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Betts line a double to left field before scoring on a RBI single by Dustin Pedroia. The 22-year old center fielder again found himself on base after singling in the eighth, and after a passed ball allowed Betts and Pedroia to advance to second and third, Hanley Ramirez hit a line drive into left field and Betts scored on the sacrifice fly to tie the game at five runs a piece.

After Brock Holt struck out on five pitches to lead off the ninth inning, Xander Bogaerts and Ryan Hanigan were able to hit back-to-back singles to set the stage for Betts' heroics. After taking a first pitch slider for a ball, Betts laced a 96-MPH fastball past the shortstop, who was playing near the infield grass, to drive in Bogaerts and complete the 6-5 victory for the Red Sox.