MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-13
4. Xander Bogaerts, 49 percent
The eighth inning strung together by Boston’s offense against the Chicago White Sox Thursday at Fenway Park was, if not the season’s highest scoring, at least one of its most efficient.
The Red Sox produced three runs on two singles, a double and a fielder’s choice. Xander Bogaerts‘ single, the last of those three hits, moved the odds of a Boston victory dramatically, if not, as it turned out, decisively.
When the inning began, the odds favored Chicago, holding a 6-4 lead, by an imposing 81 percent. Christian Vazquez‘s leadoff lineout only lengthened those odds to 86 percent while reducing the home team to just five outs.
Then the Red Sox got busy, Facing Evan Marshall, Eduardo Nunez singled. Pinch hitter Brock Holt bounced a two-base hit over the short right field wall, sending Nunez to third.
With Mookie Betts representing the go-ahead run at the plate, White Sox manager Rick Renteria summoned his closer, Alex Colome. He did induce a Betts ground ball to third baseman Yoan Moncada, but Nunes beat Moncada’s throw home, cutting the gap to 6-5 as Betts stopped safely at first.
The next hitter, Rafael Devers, tapped weakly in front of the plate, but it had the effect of a sacrifice, moving Brian Johnson — pinch-running for Holt — to third and Betts to second.
The Red Sox still trailed 6-5, but with the tying and lead runs in scoring position and Bogaerts at bat the odds of an eventual Boston win had improved, if only to 35 percent. Bogaerts delivered the go-ahead single, a ground ball past Colome that threw the odds in Boston’s favor for the first time all night.
There remained, however, an inning to play, and that inning would go well for only one of the Sox. More on that in a moment.