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Chad Tracy Sends Strong Fenway Message After Red Sox Walk-Off Win
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- Chad Tracy Sends Strong Fenway Message After Red Sox Walk-Off Win
Chad Tracy Sends Strong Fenway Message After Red Sox Walk-Off Win originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Boston Red Sox needed only three words to describe their feelings after one of the wildest finishes of their season.
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"Love you, Fenway."
The Red Sox shared the message on X alongside a graphic featuring interim manager Chad Tracy's reminder of what their historic ballpark can become during a postseason race.
"It can be a pretty big home-field advantage playing at this place," Tracy said.
Fenway Park certainly felt like one Saturday night.
Boston scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit and defeat the San Francisco Giants , 3-2. The comeback ended with Wilyer Abreu being chased around the infield by his teammates as the Fenway crowd erupted. The Red Sox were held scoreless for eight innings and had given their fans very little reason to believe a rally was coming. That changed quickly once Boston finally generated some traffic against San Francisco's bullpen.
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Fenway Comes Alive In Ninth Inning
Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio helped create the first opportunity before Eli White came off the bench and lined an RBI single into center field. White's hit scored Durbin and ended Boston's shutout bid.
Nick Sogard followed with a game-tying double to left field, bringing Monasterio home and moving White to third. Sogard finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks, reaching base four times from the leadoff spot.
The Giants intentionally walked Ceddanne Rafaela to load the bases for Abreu with one out. That decision made sense considering Abreu had struck out in each of his first four plate appearances. The Boston outfielder finally delivered when his team needed him most.
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Abreu worked a full count against left-hander Sam Hentges before hitting a ground ball down the first-base line. Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge made a diving stop and fired home, but White slid in safely ahead of catcher Andrew Knizner .
Fenway erupted as the Red Sox poured out of their dugout.
Red Sox Celebration Survives Replay Review
The celebration began before the result became official. San Francisco asked for a crew-chief review to determine whether Knizner had tagged White before he touched home plate. The Red Sox already had chased Abreu into the outfield and ripped his jersey during the celebration.
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"They ripped my jersey, so if they had overturned the call, I would have had to come back in the clubhouse to grab another one," Abreu said, per MLB.com . "But it was crazy. The ending was just crazy."
The replay confirmed White was safe, allowing the celebration to continue. Abreu officially finished 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, but his final plate appearance produced the game-winning RBI. His ability to forget everything that had happened earlier became one of the defining parts of Boston's comeback.
"I just tried to relax myself," Abreu said. "Forget about what happened. Forget about all the strikeouts. Just try to put the ball in play."
MORE: How to Watch Red Sox vs. Giants Today: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Sunday MLB Game
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Red Sox Rediscover Fenway Advantage
Tracy's quote carried additional weight because the Red Sox have not dominated at home this season. Saturday's victory improved Boston to 33-32 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have been significantly better on the road, an unusual development for a club accustomed to using the Green Monster and its passionate crowd as major advantages.
Boston now has an opportunity to change that narrative during the stretch run.
The Red Sox improved to 70-59 overall and secured the series victory after beating San Francisco, 6-4, in Friday's opener. Boston will attempt to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon before beginning a three-game road series against the Miami Marlins . If the Red Sox are going to strengthen their postseason position, they will need Fenway to become the advantage Tracy believes it can be.
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Saturday offered a reminder of what that looks and sounds like.
The Red Sox struggled for eight innings. The crowd stayed ready. Once White, Sogard and Abreu gave Fenway a reason to explode, the ballpark delivered a scene worthy of the moment.
"Love you, Fenway" was a fitting message from the team.
Tracy's quote explained why that relationship could become increasingly important over the final month of the season.
