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Red Sox reactions: Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career pinch-hit homer leads Boston over Phillies
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- Red Sox reactions: Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career pinch-hit homer leads Boston over Phillies
BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox ' 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday:
1.The Red Sox improved to 18-24 while the Phillies dropped to 20-23. Boston now is 8-13 at Fenway Park and 13-20 when facing a right-handed starter.
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2.Interim manager Chad Tracy didn’t start Ceddanne Rafaela because he wanted to get the left-handed bats of both Mickey Gasper and Masataka Yoshida in the lineup against Phillies right-handed starter Andrew Painter . But Tracy said before the game, “You’ll probably see him (Rafaela) late.”
Tracy used Rafaela as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning with lefty reliever Tanner Banks on the mound and the game tied 1-1. The Phillies countered, bringing in righty Orion Kerkering to face Rafaela. Rafaela crushed a 96.8 mph fastball from Kerkering for a two-run home run into the Monster Seats. It put Boston ahead 3-1.
3.It marked Rafaela’s first career pinch-hit home run. Rafaela is 3 for 10 with one homer, one double, four RBIs and four strikeouts in his career as a pinch hitter.
4.Red Sox starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings, allowing one run, two hits and one walk while striking out six. He threw 78 pitches, 68% for strikes. He recorded 11 swings and misses, including four with his curveball.
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5. Trevor Story homered for the first time since April 15. It was just his third home run of the season and put Boston ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Story connected on a 95 mph sinker from Phillies right-handed starter Andrew Painter and sent it 424 feet over the Green Monster.
6.Story also had a strong day on defense. He made a nice play in the hole to catch J.T. Realmuto ’s 97.4 mph ground ball, then delivered a strong throw to first base to record the first out of the eighth inning.
7.Former Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford ’s son tied it 1-1 in the third inning. Justin Crawford, a 22-year-old rookie center fielder, blasted a 403-foot home run to center field off Gray.
8.Catcher Connor Wong tripped while chasing Edmundo Sosa ’s 27-foot pop-up, so Garrett Whitlock had to make a sliding catch for the final out of the eighth.
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9. Carlos Narváez replaced Wong to begin the ninth inning.
10.It went according to script for the Red Sox, with Justin Slaten throwing a scoreless seventh inning, Garrett Whitlock throwing a scoreless eighth inning and Aroldis Chapman saving it with a scoreless ninth.
11.The Red Sox and Phillies will play the final game of their series on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. Ranger Suarez (2-2, 2.77 ERA) will start against his former team. The 30-year-old Venezuelan native spent 2018-2025 with the Phillies, posting a 3.38 ERA in 187 outings (119 starts). The Phillies will counter with left-hander Jesús Luzardo (3-3, 5.77 ERA).
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