A grand slam flips the game on its head
Boston was hanging on by a thread. The Red Sox were only just ahead of the Athletics on Tuesday night in West Sacramento. Then Ceddanne Rafaela changed everything.
Sixth inning, bases loaded. Rafaela jumped on a 2-0 slider and lashed it to left. Colby Thomas got there, got a glove on it, but could only help it on its way. It carried into the netting beyond the wall. Grand slam. His first in the majors. Boston surged ahead, 4-1.
Final score, 4-2. That’s 18 wins in the Red Sox’s last 20 games. They’re rolling.
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Tolle delivers, Chapman feels the heat
Payton Tolle did the job. Five and one-third innings, seven strikeouts, two runs allowed. The left-hander moves to 6-6.
The end got a bit messy. Aroldis Chapman came in for the ninth to shut it down. Thomas singled, Tommy White went down, then Chapman battled Nick Kurtz through a 10-pitch duel. The double-play ball finally came, but Anthony Seigler couldn’t handle it at second. Two runners survived.
Chapman didn’t blink. He struck out Henry Bolte and Alika Williams. Save No. 25 in 27 chances.
The Athletics sink further
Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim both went deep. It still wasn’t enough. Oakland has now lost 24 of its last 30 games. That’s a steep slide, and it looks like getting steeper.
The night also brought a brutal blow. All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers is set to go under the knife on Tuesday for a torn meniscus in his right knee. His season could well be over.
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