The Boston Red Sox rallied late to defeat the Miami Marlins 4-2 on Monday night, with Anthony Seigler delivering the go ahead triple in the ninth inning to break a 2-2 tie.
The victory was Boston’s fourth straight, and the Red Sox continued their remarkable success against winning teams. Boston has now won 19 of its last 20 games against opponents with records of .500 or better.
Mickey Gasper played a key role throughout the night, collecting two hits and drawing two walks. His patience at the plate helped set up Boston’s decisive ninth inning rally.
Miami entered the ninth with a chance to protect the tie, but closer Pete Fairbanks was unable to continue. Fairbanks, who took the loss to fall to 4-5, issued a leadoff walk to Gasper before stepping off the mound and touching his right arm while speaking with catcher Brian Navarreto and manager Clayton McCullough.
After the game, Fairbanks said he experienced numbness and nerve irritation in his arm. Tyler Zuber came in to replace Fairbanks, but Boston quickly took advantage. After Gasper’s walk, pinch-runner Eli White advanced to first, and Seigler lined a ball toward the right-field foul area for a triple that brought White home and gave Boston a 3-2 lead.
Nick Sogard followed with an RBI single, extending the advantage to 4-2. Erik Miller earned the win, improving to 3-0, after pitching a scoreless eighth despite allowing two singles and a walk. Aroldis Chapman then closed out the victory for his 30th save.
Miami struggled to capitalize on its opportunities, going just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position.
The Marlins briefly took the lead in the seventh inning when Xavier Edwards delivered a bases-loaded RBI single that put Miami ahead 2-1. Kyle Stowers, meanwhile, went 1-for-4 in his return from the injured list.
Boston tied the game in the eighth. Wilyer Abreu opened the inning with a double and moved to third on a flyout. Reliever Josh Ekness then threw a curveball that got away from the catcher, allowing Abreu to score on the wild pitch and making it 2-2.
Despite the late loss, Sandy Alcantara delivered another strong performance for Miami. The Marlins starter allowed one run on six hits over seven innings, walked two and struck out six. The outing marked his major league leading 21st quality start of the season.
Alcantara has been particularly effective over his last three starts, allowing just five runs across 20 innings. However, Miami has provided him with only three runs of support during that span, leaving him with little margin for error.
Boston will look to continue its winning streak Tuesday when left-hander Peyton Tolle takes the mound. Tolle enters with an 8-6 record and a 3.08 ERA. The Marlins had not announced their starting pitcher for Tuesday’s game.
For Miami, Monday’s loss was another reminder of how costly missed opportunities can be. The Marlins held a one run lead late and received seven strong innings from Alcantara, but Boston’s ninth inning rally ultimately decided the game.
