BOSTON (AP) — Hanley Ramirez hit drive out of Fenway Park in the 15th inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in a rain-delayed game that ended at 1:09 a.m. Wednesday.
Ramirez connected for his 15th homer with one out off Mike Bolsinger (0-3), sending a drive over the left-field wall against the Blue Jays’ eighth pitcher. Hector Velazquez (2-1), Boston’s fifth pitcher, got the win.
The start was held up for more than an hour by thunderstorms, and both teams scored in the 11th to keep it going. The game itself took 4 hours, 59 minutes.
The Red Sox haven’t gotten a lot of rest lately. They lost in 16 innings to the Yankees on Saturday, then split a day-night doubleheader with New York on Sunday. Boston lost to Toronto 4-3 on Monday night — albeit in just nine innings.
Ryan Goins put Toronto ahead 4-3 with a sacrifice fly in the 11th. Mookie Betts tied it with a two-out single in the bottom half that drove in Jackie Bradley Jr. from second.
Dustin Pedroia hit a solo homer in the sixth for Boston and tying double in the seventh. Chris Young also homered for Boston.
Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales and Troy Tulowitzki drove in one run apiece with consecutive hits during Toronto’s three-run fifth inning, which gave the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
Pedroia followed up his clutch hits with one of the defensive plays of the game in the eighth. After Toronto opened the inning with back-to-back singles, the Red Sox star second baseman scooped up a grounder, ran down Steve Pearce to tag him and made a quick throw to first to convert the double play.
Boston rookie Brian Johnson, called up earlier Tuesday from Triple-A Pawtucket, remained unbeaten thanks to the late rally. Johnson allowed three runs, all earned, on eight hits over six innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
J.A. Happ pitched five-plus innings for Toronto, allowing two runs on eight hits before getting pulled in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Francisco Liriano (neck stiffness/pain) threw on the field and could start the series finale Thursday afternoon, depending on how he feels. He left in the third inning Saturday because his neck was bothering him.
Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts was a late scratch from the starting lineup and had an MRI on his right hand, which has been bothering him since getting hit by a pitch July 6 against Tampa Bay. Bogaerts came off the bench as a pinch-runner in the 11th.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-2, 3.94) has won his last four starts against the Red Sox.
Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (9-4, 3.75) has won three of his last four starts, getting a no-decision his last time out Friday against the New York Yankees.
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