Another night, another win for the indefatigable 2023 Red Sox.
They overtook the Phillies 7-4, clinching their third consecutive series victory. Their win streak is eight games now, the longest in the majors, and they have the 4th best record in the game.
But the outlook wasn’t brilliant through the first three frames. Facing Bailey Falter, a pitcher virtually unknown to them, the Red Sox went quickly and quietly, while Corey Kluber gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the second.
The next time through the order was another story. After going 0-for-9 the first time through, the entire Red Sox lineup came to bat in the fourth inning.
Lefty specialist Rob Refsnyder became Boston’s first baserunner when he led off the fourth with a single. Alex Verdugo followed with a double, Justin Turner drew a walk, and suddenly, the Red Sox had the bases loaded with no outs for Rafael Devers.
With two strikes against him, the 26-year-old third baseman smashed a 106.4 mph double to score a pair of runs, putting the Red Sox on the board and giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the night.
Falter got two quick outs, then gave up three more hits and runs. Just like that, the Red Sox had their eighth consecutive game with five or more runs scored. It’s only their 10th eight-game win streak with at least five runs scored in each game, and their first since September 2016.
And for an MLB-leading 11th time this year, they knocked a starting pitcher out of the game in under five innings. Falter exited after 3 2/3, charged with five earned runs on six hits, a walk, and four strikeouts.
Kluber didn’t make things easy for his team, but battled through a powerful lineup to make a quality start. The Phillies made hard contact from the jump, and the 37-year-old right-hander was lucky to limit them to two runs through the first four innings. In the bottom of the fourth, he allowed three consecutive two-out hits, cutting Boston’s brand-new lead to 5-2, and gave Bryce Harper his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth.
Still, Kluber got through five frames, making it the 12th consecutive game in which a Red Sox starter pitched five or more. For the second time this year, the two-time Cy Young winner didn’t issue a walk, a promising sign for the usually-stingy pitcher, who’s struggled to limit free passes this season. It was also the first start of his career in which he pitched five or more innings and only collected one strikeout.
Like Chris Sale, who made a stellar 10-strikeout start in Friday night’s series opener, Kluber has improved significantly over the first several weeks of the season. After allowing 17 earned runs in his first four starts (18 innings), he’s limited teams to seven earned runs over his last three games (16 1/3 IP). He’s pitching deeper into games, limiting walks and home runs, and as a result, he’s helping his team win, rather winning in spite of him.
But the key moment came at the end, when Kenley Jansen entered, seeking the 399th save of his regular-season career. The leadoff man, Edmundo Sosa, rocketed a come-backer at his glove, but despite some discomfort, the veteran closer remained in the game, earned the save, and clinched the victory.
After not pitching during the four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the week, Jansen told the Herald that the key to his team’s continued success was never letting up.
“Just keep our foot on the gas, and just go out there and attack,” he said. “We just gotta keep playing good baseball, just take care of our business.”
He then proceeded to close and earn saves in back-to-back games in Philadelphia.
Alexa, play “Takin’ Care of Business.”