BOSTON (AP) - Even 22-year-old Andrew Benintendi was getting weary.
Boston’s young outfielder put an end to yet another marathon game and a string of failed chances with a single in the 12th inning, driving in Xander Bogaerts from third for the winning run as the Red Sox outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Tuesday night.
“We’ve played some long games on consecutive days. I was trying not to overthink it and just hit the ball,” Benintendi said.
It was the first career walkoff for Benintendi, who went 3 for 5 and made a key defensive play in the eighth that kept Philadelphia from taking the lead. After leaving runners stranded in the 10th and 11th, it was Benintendi who got it done before the night got any later.
Mitch Moreland hit one homer and barely missed another in the 12th with a long single off the Green Monster, allowing Bogaerts to advance to third and set up Benintendi’s game-winner. The ball bounced over the short wall in right, but was officially still a single.
It didn’t matter much as the Red Sox beat the Phillies in extra innings for the second straight night, extending Philadelphia’s losing streak to seven straight.
“A number of missed opportunities offensively. Finally, Benny gets the big hit to finish it,” Boston manager John Farrell said.
Fernando Abad (2-0) pitched the 11th and 12th for Boston, which blew great opportunities in the first two extra innings before finally cashing in after Louis Garcia (1-1) walked Bogaerts with one out in the 12th.
Boston left 12 runners on base and was just 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position until Benintendi finally put an end to it, then got doused with an ice bucket in front of the Boston dugout.
Aaron Altherr hit a two-run homer for the Phillies, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit and also had some late opportunities to take the lead near the end.
“We played these guys tough. They can’t say we were a pushover,” Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said.
Ben Lively pitched seven solid innings in his third career start, digging himself out of some early trouble and holding Boston to three runs and eight hits. He walked two, struck out two and hit a batter but did not allow a run after Moreland’s solo homer to center in the third put Boston up 3-2.
“Lively showed a lot of guts. He got hit around early but then he didn’t shy away,” Mackanin said. “He didn’t start nitpicking, he wasn’t afraid to throw strikes, came right after the hitters. Very impressive.”
David Price made his home debut for the Red Sox and needed just six pitches to put the Phillies down in the first. But the Phillies forced him to throw 36 pitches in the second inning when Philadelphia loaded the bases with one out. The Phillies didn’t score until the third when Altherr drove a pitch from Price all the way out of the ballpark, clearing the Green Monster and signs above it to tie it at 2-all.
After Moreland put Boston back up with his ninth homer of the season, Philadelphia tied it in the sixth when Michael Saunders ran out a fielder’s choice, just avoiding a double play and allowing Tommy Joseph to score. Joseph reached on a ground-rule double to right off Price with one out.
The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the first but only got one run out of it. After walking Benintendi with the bases loaded to put Boston up 1-0, Lively got out of the early jam when Hanley Ramirez grounded into a double play. Boston got another run in the second when Jackie Bradley Jr. led off with a double and scored on a double by Christian Vazquez.
Price pitched six innings, allowing three runs, four hits and four walks, striking out six.
HOLD UP
Benintendi had the game-winning hit and may just have prevented the winning run from crossing the plate in the eighth. Benintendi threw out Howie Kendrick at home as he tried to score from first when Maikel Franco hit a line drive off the Green Monster in left.
Benintendi’s throw to Vazquez at home was on target and the score remained tied.
“I was kind of surprised by them sending him,” Benintendi said. “It was kind of a weird situation because I knew how much time I had and I didn’t want to throw one off line so it kind of felt like a lob. I just tried to throw a strike to Vazky and he put a good tag on him.”
BIG BEN
Although he didn’t figure in the decision, Lively became the first Phillies pitcher to allow three earned runs or fewer in his first three career games since Bill Champion in 1969.
“It’s nice but it’s always better to win,” Lively said. “I felt like if I was a little bit more settled in early in the game it could’ve been a different outcome tonight.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: 2B Cesar Hernandez will require six weeks to recover from an abdominal strain on his left side, Mackanin said before the game. Hernandez hurt himself while making a throw Friday against the Cardinals. … Kendrick started at second Tuesday night. … Philadelphia traded LHP Joely Rodriguez to Texas earlier Tuesday for a player to be named or cash.
Red Sox: Ramirez will sit out when the Red Sox head to Philadelphia for the next two games. Farrell said the Red Sox will stick with Moreland at first base rather than have Ramirez take the field with the Phillies scheduled to start right-handed pitchers Wednesday and Thursday.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP Brian Johnson (2-0, 3.44 ERA) gets his fourth start of the season and fifth of his career. Coming off a complete game shutout May 27 against Seattle, Johnson didn’t figure in the decision Friday when he pitched 4 1/3 innings against Detroit.
Phillies: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-4, 4.50) is the only Philadelphia pitcher with a winning record despite going winless in his last five starts.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.