Vazquez Belts Walk-off Homer As Red Sox Push Rays To Brink In MLB Playoffs

Los Angeles, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Oct, 2021 ) :Christian Vazquez crushed a walk-off two-run home run over the Green Monster outfield wall in Boston to lift the Red Sox to a 6-4, 13-inning win over Tampa Bay in their Major League Baseball playoff series on Sunday.

The victory gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five American League division series, and put the reigning American League champion Rays one defeat away from elimination.

The Rays must win on Monday at Fenway Park in Boston to have a chance of closing out the Red Sox at Tropicana Field in Florida on Wednesday.

The Red Sox withstood a trademark late challenge from the Rays, who rallied for two runs in the eighth inning to tie the game then squandered chances in the 10th and 11th innings.

Boston also got a lucky break in the top of the 13th, when it appeared that a hit from Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier had scored Yandi Diaz from first base with a hard-hit ball to the warning track.

But the ball bounced off Boston rightfielder Hunter Renfroe and back over a low rightfield wall, and after the umpires discussed it Diaz was sent back to third base and Kiermaier to second as the play was ruled a ground-rule double under the MLB rule that stipulates a ball that deflects off a player and into foul territory is a ground-rule double.

So it was still tied 4-4 when Vazquez came to the plate against Rays relief pitcher Luis Patino in the bottom of the 13th and delivered a towering shot.

"I was just watching all the at-bats before me," Vazquez said. "He was throwing a lot of fastballs. He's got a heavy fastball so I was ready for that fastball in the middle -- to drive it."