Xander Bogaerts had seen the Red Sox go 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and after his leadoff double in the ninth inning with his team trailing 3-2, he decided to take a chance when J.D. Martinez grounded to shortstop.
"Big mistake," said Alex Cora.
When Bogaerts was thrown out rather easily trying to get to third, he derailed a possible rally, helped put an end to a five-game winning streak and the Sox missed an opportunity to cut their six-game wild-card deficit with now 35 games left in the season.
After the game, Bogaerts, as he has all season, faced the media. And he was quick to admit his blunder.
"Based on how the game was going, I felt like we were on second base a lot and we kind of got stranded the whole game," Bogaerts told reporters at his locker. "It was just a risk that I took and obviously you know that's a good pitcher [Phillies closer Hector Neris]. That was a mistake and obviously not the right decision."
His manager didn't sugar coat it, either.
Boston Red Sox
"It doesn't matter if you're in first place or last place, you've got to play clean baseball," Cora told reporters. “He knows it. That ball is right in front of him. And it’s a big mistake right there.”
That was the first out of the ninth. The next two outs also came on a baserunning mistake. Chris Owings, pinch-running for Martinez, broke for second on Andrew Benintendi's line drive and was easily doubled off.
Game over and more cold water poured on the Sox' flickering playoff hopes.
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