Braves outlast Red Sox in extras, 9-7

The Atlanta Braves outlasted the Boston Red Sox to score a 9-7 win in 11 innings to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Braves got off to a fast start against Rich Hill. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the game with a single and then moved up to second on a balk. Austin Riley followed with a triple down the line in right that scored Acuña to give Atlanta an early 1-0 lead.

Charlie Morton retired the side in order the first, but the Red Sox took the lead in the second. Alex Verdugo led off the inning with a double off the Green Monster in left center. Morton then struck out J.D. Martinez and got Eric Hosmer to bounce out to second. However, Christian Arroyo jumped on a first-pitch cutter and drove it out to center for a two-run home run to put Boston in front 2-1.

Atlanta flexed its muscles again in the third and retook the lead. Dansby Swanson got things started with a two-out double down the right field line. Riley then barreled up the eighth pitch of his at bat and sent it flying over the monster in left for a two-run shot to make it 3-2.

Matt Olson followed with an opposite field single and then came all the way around to score as William Contreras lined one to the triangle in center for a triple to make it 4-2.

The Red Sox got one of those runs back in the home half of the third as Tommy Pham took Morton deep to center for a solo home run to cut Atlanta’s lead to 4-3. Morton’s troubles continued in the fourth as Verdugo doubled again to lead off the inning. Morton struck out Martinez and Hosmer, but Arroyo struck again with a double to right to score Verdugo and tie the game.

Boston retook the lead in the fifth as Jarren Duran launched a solo shot into the Boston bullpen to make it 5-4. The Braves would answer again though in the sixth. Orlando Arcia worked a two-out walk off of Matt Barnes and then came all the way around to score on a double by Michael Harris to the left center gap to tie the game again. Acuña followed with a walk of his own and that would be it for Barnes who would be replaced by Hirokazu Sawamura who struck out Swanson looking to end the inning.

Morton somewhat surprisingly came back out for the sixth and retired the side in order including a pair of strikeouts of Martinez and Dalbec. That would end Morton’s night on a good note. He allowed six hits, a walk and five runs in six innings. He struck out seven while throwing 96 pitches.

Atlanta threatened again with two outs in the seventh. William Contreras worked a walk off of Sawamura and then moved up to second on a wild pitch. Sawamura then walked pinch-hitter Eddie Rosario. Joey Cora then went back to his bullpen for John Schreiber who struck out Marcell Ozuna to strand the runners.

Collin McHugh took over in the seventh and struck out Arroyo to start the inning. He then allowed a double to Kevin Plawecki and then hit Duran in the foot to put runners at first and second. He ran the count full to Tommy Pham, but got him to fly out to Harris in center for the second out. Brian Snitker would then summon A.J. Minter who struck out Rafael Devers swinging to leave the runners stranded.

The Braves again rallied with two outs in the eighth against Garrett Whitlock. Acuña got things started with a single. Dansby Swanson then worked a great at-bat and lined the eighth pitch he saw to the gap in right center. Acuña scored on the play to put Atlanta in front 6-5.

Boston rallied again in the eight against Raisel Iglesias. Xander Bogaerts led off the inning with a broken bat double down the left field line to get things started. Iglesias came back and struck out Verdugo, but Martinez delivered with a single to center to again tie the game. Iglesias held it right there as he struck out Bobby Dalbec and Arroyo to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth for Atlanta and was hit by a line drive off the bat of Plawecki. Jansen recovered and threw him out at first and waved off the Braves training staff. He then struck out Durran, but Pham followed with a double to left. Atlanta opted to walk Devers and Jansen got Bogaerts to fly out to Harris in center to send the game to extra innings.

The Braves retook the lead in the 10th as Orlando Arcia doubled home Rosario to make it 7-6. Arcia however was injured on the play and tagged out at second. He had to be helped off the field with what appeared to be a leg injury.

Dylan Lee had a chance to close it out in the 10th. With Bogaerts at second, Verdugo reached on a swinging bunt that put runners at the corners with no one out. Lee ran the count full to Martinez before he lifted a sacrifice fly to center that tied the game. Dalbec went down on strikes for the second out and Arroyo grounded out to Swanson who flipped to second to send the game to the 11th.

Harris began the 11th at second for Atlanta. Acuña began the inning with a single to left, but Harris had to hold to make sure it got through and was only able to reach third on the play. Acuña then stole second to put two in scoring position for Swanson. Swanson grounded out to Devers who was playing in at third for the first out. Riley then came through again with a single to left to score two with a nice slide by Acuña at the plate to make it 9-7.

The Red Sox walked Olson intentionally and Contreras then hit a bullet down the third base line that Devers stabbed and fired to second for the second out. Austin Davis replaced Kaleb Ort and got Rosario to fly out to left to end the inning.

Tyler Matzek retired the side in order in the home half of the 11th to end the game.

Riley and Acuña finished with three hits each. Riley finished a double shy of a cycle and drove in five runs. With the win, Atlanta improves to 65-46 on the season. The series will wrap up Wednesday with Kyle Wright matching up against Nick Pivetta.