The Boston Red Sox found more Fenway Park magic Monday, knocking a Tampa Bay Rays team that posted the best record in the American League during the regular season out of the playoffs with a thrilling 6-5 victory.
Kike Hernandez's sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning brought home pinch-runner Danny Santana with the winning run in Game 4 as Boston took the Division Series 3-1.
Earlier in the game, it appeared the Red Sox might cruise to victory. Rafael Devers crushed a three-run homer to spark a five-run third inning for the Red Sox with Rays starter Collin McHugh already out of the game after just two innings.
But the Rays, who went 100-62 during the regular season, were not done yet. They began chipping away with a run in the fifth, then rookie sensation Wander Franco hit a two-run homer in the sixth.
Run-scoring hits from Kevin Kiermaier and Randy Arozarena tied the game in the eighth and Kiermaier ensured it stayed that way in the bottom of the inning, gunning down Alex Verdugo with an outrageous throw from center field to third base for a double play that ended a Red Sox threat.
The reprieve was short-lived for the Rays, as Christian Vazquez led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left and Christian Arroyo bunted him to third. A misplayed grounder off the bat of Travis Shaw put runners on the corners and Hernandez drove in Santana to set off a wild celebration at the venerable ballpark.
The Red Sox have won eight consecutive games in which they had a chance to clinch a postseason series. Only the Oakland Athletics have a longer such streak, nine in a row between 1973 and 1990.
Boston will face the Houston Astros or Chicago White Sox in the American League Championship Series.
Longoria, Giants edge Dodgers in Game 3
Evan Longoria's fifth-inning home run off Max Scherzer was the difference as the San Francisco Giants edged the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 to put the reigning World Series champions on the brink of elimination.
Longoria homered on a 0-2 fastball to lead off the fifth, virtually the only blemish for the Dodgers pitching staff as they limited the Giants to just three hits in Game 3. But that was enough, as San Francisco's pitching and defence made it stand up.
Starter Alex Wood and three relievers held the Dodgers to five hits with some significant help from their fielders, as Brandon Crawford in particular made a pair of stellar plays to rob Mookie Betts of hits.
Sesko opts for Leipzig stay over Arsenal, Man Utd move due to progress opportunities
Benjamin Sesko remains certain that staying at RB Leipzig is the "right decision" to develop his career after turning down reported Premier League interest.
Slovenia international Sesko joined Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2023, scoring 14 league goals last campaign, a tally bettered by only seven players in the German top flight.
That form was said to have attracted Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea to the 21-year-old, who instead signed a new five-year contract with the Bundesliga club last month.
Having committed his future to life at the Red Bull Arena, the striker believes Leipzig will provide a platform for his progression.
"I thought it through very well," Sesko said to Nogomania, a Slovenian media outlet. "I believe I made the right decision. I wanted to gain more experience, learn more, and not rush things.
"Leipzig are an excellent club that can provide what I need for the next step. Leipzig's vision is clear; everything is geared towards growth, progress, and high goals. I felt it was right to decide this way."
Sesko's new deal could see him stay with Leipzig until 2029, with Marco Rose boasting one of the world's most exciting prospects up top.
The Leipzig attacker scored from 14 of his 47 shots last season in the league, a conversion rate of 29.8% – the third-best ratio in the 2023-24 Bundesliga among players to have managed at least five goals.
That deadly finishing in front of goal will have Rose excited once more, and Sesko says his boss was key to the decision to stay.
"We talked," Sesko explained. "He told me he wanted me to stay but also said I should decide based on my feelings.
"He said if I felt I needed to move on, I should go, but if not, I should stay. He's an excellent coach who has led many great players.
"I'm glad I decided this way. I did it before the Euro to keep a clear head and focus entirely on the championship."
Red Sox, manager Cora finalizing extension
Alex Cora will be staying with the Boston Red Sox for next season and beyond, as MLB Network reported Wednesday that the veteran manager has agreed to a three-year contract extension that will make him among the highest-paid skippers in baseball.
Cora's new deal will run through the 2027 season and will be worth more than $7 million annually, according to MLB Network. ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that the 48-year-old was nearing an agreement on a three-year, $21.75 million extension.
The agreement also ends speculation on Cora's future in Boston with his current contract due to expire at the end of this season. The 2018 World Series champion will become the second-highest paid manager in the majors behind Craig Counsell, who left the Milwaukee Brewers for the Chicago Cubs in the offseason on a deal that pays him $8 million annually.
Cora is in his fourth consecutive season as the Red Sox's manager and sixth overall with the club. He was dismissed following the 2019 season as he served a one-year suspension in 2020 as part of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal of 2017, then rehired by Boston after being reinstated by Major League Baseball.
The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 regular-season games and captured their most recent World Series title in Cora's first season in 2018. Boston also reached the post-season during Cora's return to the team in 2021, though the Red Sox have missed the playoffs in each of the past two years.
Cora has the Red Sox back in the mix for a playoff spot this season, however. Boston enters Wednesday's play one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the American League's final wild card berth with a 54-46 record.
The Puerto Rico native has compiled a 494-416 regular-season record during his time in Boston.
Prior to his initial stint with the Red Sox, Cora spent the 2017 season as the Astros' bench coach and was part of Houston's controversial run to that year's World Series title. Major League Baseball later conducted a thorough investigation of an alleged sign-stealing scheme the Astros had put in place that season, which led to Commissioner Rob Manfred suspending Cora for the entire 2020 campaign for his role.
England recover from nervy start to lead West Indies by 207 runs
England took control of the second Test against West Indies as the hosts established a 207-run lead at the close of play on Saturday's third day at Trent Bridge.
The hosts ended the day on 248-3, aided by two century partnerships from Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, and Joe Root and Harry Brook. Both Brook, on 71, and Root, on 37, will resume batting on Sunday.
Despite Chris Woakes claiming the wickets of Alzarri Joseph (10) and Jayden Seales (duck) in successive balls, a final-wicket stand of 71 from Shamar Joseph (33) and Joshua da Silva, who was left unbeaten on 82, saw West Indies, who resumed at 351-5, reach 457.
Scores: England 416 & 248-3 (Duckett 76, Brook 71*, Pope 51, A Joseph 2-58) lead West Indies 457 (Hodge 120, Da Silva 82*, Woakes 4-84) by 207 runs
England's second innings, which they began 41 runs adrift, got off to a nervy start as opener Zak Crawley (three) was run out by Jayden Seales at the non-striker's end.
However, much like they did in the first innings, Duckett (76) and Pope (51) settled the hosts down with a 119-run second-wicket stand, before Alzarri Joseph claimed both in the space of eight deliveries.
Still, Brook and Root also produced an important, unbroken 108-run partnership that placed Ben Stokes' side in command heading into day four.
Data Debrief: Successive century partnerships for Duckett and Pope
With a strong finish to their opening innings, the Windies reached 457 - their highest total on English soil since 1995.
England's response was led by Duckett and Pope's impressive stand of 119, their second three-figure partnership of the series.
They became only the ninth pair to make two century stands for England in a men's Test, and first since Joe Root and Alistair Cook achieved the feat against Pakistan eight years ago.
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