Red Sox ride four-run eighth to win over Cubs

[May 01, 2017]  BOSTON -- A burst of speed helped the Boston Red Sox earn a series win over the defending World Series champions.

Marco Hernandez reached base on a bang-bang play to open the eighth inning, then charged home to score the go-ahead run later in the frame as the Red Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Sunday night at Fenway Park.

"It was a quick jolt of energy that we got," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Hernandez's inning-opening play after Boston scored four runs in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie.

Hernandez was called safe at first as his foot hit the bag at the same time as Cubs reliever Koji Uehara to open the eighth. The Red Sox third baseman was credited with an infield single after hitting a grounder to first base.

"I see (Uehara) slowing down, and then I (ran as) hard as heck," Hernandez said.

Chicago challenged the ruling, but it was upheld.

Boston proceeded to load the bases against Uehara with no outs before Pedro Strop relieved Uehara and struck out Mookie Betts.

Strop's wild pitch to Hanley Ramirez in the next at-bat proved costly, allowing Hernandez to score.

"I was looking for the wild pitch because I saw him throwing too many breaking balls down," Hernandez said. "As soon as I saw the ball bounce ... I (broke for home)."

After an intentional walk to Ramirez, Mitch Moreland drove in another run on a groundout.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo's fielding error on a throw from shortstop Addison Russell after Dustin Pedroia's grounder allowed Boston to tack on two more runs.

Boston (13-11) took two of three games in Chicago's first visit to Fenway since 2014.

Ramirez also homered for the second straight game, launching a two-run shot for his third of the season.

For the Cubs, Kris Bryant extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his fourth homer, a solo shot, and Jon Jay also scored a run.

Chicago (13-11) had won seven of 10 before Sunday, while Boston had dropped six of nine. The Cubs won two of three in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh before heading to Boston.

"I'll take a 5-4 road trip. I will," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I'll take a winning month. I will.

"We're not clicking on all cylinders. We had opportunities to score more runs early, didn't do it."

Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez recorded seven straight outs via strikeout and finished with nine K's. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks in a six-inning no-decision.

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks also didn't factor into the decision, as the product of nearby Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., tossed six innings, allowing two runs, three hits and three walks. He struck out six.

Matt Barnes (3-0), making his return from a four-game suspension for buzzing Baltimore's Manny Machado with a pitch last Sunday, got the win after pitching a scoreless eighth inning. Uehara (0-2) took the loss.

Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Ramirez stroked a first-pitch sinker from Hendricks approximately 439 feet over the Green Monster in left field with two outs in the first inning. He also slugged a Monster shot Saturday in the Cubs' 7-4 win.

Bryant mimicked Ramirez with his own Monster blast, directing an 0-1 Rodriguez fastball an estimated 410 feet into the seats in left-center with one out in the Chicago fifth.

Bryant, who also homered Friday in Chicago's series-opening, 5-4 loss, joined Nate Schierholtz (two) as the only two Cubs players who have hit multiple homers at Fenway.

Jay hustled home from second base to tie it after a wild pitch from reliever Joe Kelly bounced off catcher Christian Vazquez and skated to the backstop with one out in the seventh.

Vazquez recovered the ball and fired it to Kelly at the plate, and Jay was called out by plate umpire Bruce Dreckman.

Chicago issued a two-part challenge on the play, contesting the no-collision rule at the plate as well as the out. The challenge of the collision rule was denied, but the out call was overturned.

NOTES: Boston 3B Pablo Sandoval (right knee sprain) still has no timetable to resume baseball activities. ... Chicago pitching coach Chris Bosio is expected to rejoin the team Monday. Bosio has been away since last Monday tending to a personal matter. ...Cubs manager Joe Maddon had some high praise for 22-year-old Red Sox LF Andrew Benintendi. "I'm not afraid to say it, but that's Freddie Lynn reincarnated," Maddon said before the game. ... Both the Red Sox's 2004 and the Cubs' 2016 World Series trophies were on display for a photo op with fans on Sunday at Fenway, making for a combined 194 years of curse-breaking hardware. ... Cubs LHP Brett Anderson (2-0, 3.54 ERA) opposes Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (1-2, 6.33), and Red Sox RHP Rick Porcello (1-3, 4.75 ERA) counters Orioles RHP Dylan Bundy (3-1, 1.65 ERA) on Monday

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.