MIAMI — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 4-2 win over the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park:
1. The Red Sox struggled to score, going 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 men on base.
But they still posted their 33rd come-from-behind win. With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth, Mickey Gasper drew a leadoff walk against Marlins reliever Pete Fairbanks, who then left the game with an injury. Tyler Zuber replaced Fairbanks and allowed a go-ahead RBI triple to Anthony Seigler.
2. Seigler had not started a game in eight days, but he got the job done. Last month, Patrick Sandoval called Seigler — who plays with a ton of energy — the Red Sox’ “spark plug.”
3. The Sox improved to 72-59 overall and 38-27 on the road. It was an impressive win, overcoming a 2-1 deficit in the eighth against the Marlins, who are a strong home team with a 41-26 record here. Miami went 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position and left 14 men on base.
4. An error by Jarren Duran almost proved costly in the eighth inning. But Red Sox reliever Erik Miller made sure that it didn’t. Duran bobbled Leo Jiménez’s single with one out, allowing Jiménez to reach second base. Otto Lopez then bunted for a hit.
With runners at the corners, Miller fielded Heriberto Hernández’s ground ball back to the mound. Miller threw home to catcher Adley Rutschman to get Jiménez in a rundown. Rutschman tagged out Hernández running back to third base. Miller then struck out Kyle Stowers to end the inning.
5. Interim manager Chad Tracy played his infield in with the bases loaded and the game tied 1-1 with one out in the seventh inning. The strategy didn’t work. Xavier Edwards’ 88.7 mph ground ball single got past second baseman Anthony Seigler into right field, putting the Marlins ahead 2-1.
6. First basemanWillson Contreras made a big play during the seventh inning to keep it a one-run game. He knocked down Jakob Marsee’ 83 mph line drive with the bases loaded. Contreras stayed with it, grabbed the ball in foul territory and threw home to get the force-out.
7. The Red Sox have been resilient when behind late in games. And they tied it again Monday, immediately tying it 2-2 in the eighth inning after the Marlins had just taken the lead. Wilyer Abreu doubled to lead off the inning, reached third on Adley Rutschman’s sac fly and scored on reliever Josh Ekness’ wild pitch.
8. Brayan Bello pitched in relief on six days of rest after throwing 76 pitches on Aug. 17 against the Diamondbacks. He entered the game in the sixth inning after Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez tossed just five innings. Bello ended up pitching two innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out one.
9. Suarez pitched around a lot of traffic all night. The 30-year-old lefty gave up four hits and four walks while also hitting two batters, but he allowed just one run in five innings. The Marlins went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
Suarez limited the Marlins to just one run in the second inning after hitting two batters and walking another to load the bases with no outs. He didn’t allow a run after the first two batters of the fifth inning reached on a single and walk.
10. Mickey Gasper, who batted eighth as the DH, continues to produce offensively. His 394-foot RBI double to center field off Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara tied it 1-1 in the fifth inning. Gasper is 8 for 19 with three homers, three doubles, 10 RBIs, four walks and one strikeout since Boston recalled him from Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 16.
11. The Red Sox squandered an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead in the third inning. Jarren Duran and Mickey Gasper led off with back-to-back singles. Anthony Seigler grounded out softly (51.9 mph off the bat) to third base for the first out. Duran had to stay at third, while Gasper advanced to second base.
With two runners in scoring position, both Nick Sogard and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out.
12. Rafaela is now just 6 for 24 in ABS challenges this season, a 25% success rate. He challenged the called third strike in the third inning and lost.
13. Boston again squandered an opportunity to take the lead after loading the bases with one out in the seventh inning with the score tied 1-1. Jarren Duran extended a routine single to right field into a hustle double with one out. Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara then walked Gasper and Anthony Seigler. But he escaped by striking out Sogard swinging and retiring Rafaela on a flyout to center field.
14. The Red Sox and Marlins will play the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday. Left-hander Payton Tolle (8-6, 3.08 ERA) will start for Boston. Miami has not named its starting pitcher.
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