The Top 10 Red Sox Moments of 2018

The Red Sox are back in the postseason for the third consecutive season, matching the longest streak in franchise history (2003-05 and 2007-09). As consistent as Boston has been all year, key performances throughout the season sustained winning streaks and helped capture tough series. Here's a look back at the Top 10 Moments of 2018:
April 8
The Red Sox give an early indication of the type of thrilling rallies they will stage throughout the season, exploding for six straight two-out hits to come back from a five-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth to beat the Rays, 8-7. Mookie Betts tied it with an RBI single. Andrew Benintendi completed the comeback by lofting an RBI double off the Monster.

May 2
Betts does it again, with his second three-homer game of the season, and the Red Sox need all of them in a 5-4 win over the Royals. Betts passes Ted Williams to become the all-time leader for the Red Sox with four three-homer games.

May 10
J.D. Martinez comes up with his first big "rivalry moment," a solo shot to right in the eighth that snaps a 4-4 tie against the Yankees. The Red Sox had surrendered a 4-0 lead and were in danger of getting swept. Thanks to Martinez, they were able to salvage the finale against a New York team that had won 17 of its last 18 games.

June 30
Chris Sale produces one of the best performances (seven innings, one hit, no runs, 11 K's) by a starting pitcher against the Yankees, leading the Sox to an 11-0 win. Sale became the fifth pitcher in the live ball era (since 1920) to pitch at least seven innings while allowing one hit or fewer, no runs and at least 11 strikeouts. Rafael Devers also went off, going 5-for-5 with a grand slam.

July 2
Rick Porcello electrifies Boston's dugout when he ropes a bases-clearing double against his close friend Max Scherzer to lead the Red Sox to a 4-3 win at Washington.

July 12
Betts produces one of the most thrilling at-bats of the season, working J.A. Happ for 13 pitches and ripping a grand slam over the Monster to lead the Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the Blue Jays to extend the team's winning streak to 10 games. This was the first time a player hit a grand slam in an at-bat of 13 pitches or more since Gary Scott did so for the Cubs on the 13th pitch against Philadelphia's Kyle Abbott on April 20, 1992.

July 27
There goes Mookie again. After Craig Kimbrel blows a save in the top of the ninth, Devers ties it with a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth. Betts sends everyone home happy with the first walk-off homer of his career in the bottom of the 10th. The Red Sox beat the Twins, 4-3.

Aug. 2
Steve Pearce opens a four-game showdown against the Yankees in style by smashing three homers to pace the Red Sox in a 15-7 win. Pearce becomes just the third Red Sox player to hit three homers in a game against the Yankees, and the first since Kevin Millar in 2004.

Aug. 5
Down 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Red Sox roar back for three to tie it against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. Martinez's two-run single makes it a one-run game. The Red Sox tie it on a two-out error by Miguel Andújar. Benintendi wins it for the Sox with a seeing-eye single in the bottom of the 10th. The final at Fenway: Boston 5, New York 4. It is the capper of a four-game sweep by the Red Sox.

Sept. 5
Of all the crazy comeback wins by the Red Sox, this one tops the list. They were down 7-1 entering the eighth against the Braves, and came roaring back with a six-run rally. Pinch-hitter Ian Kinsler tied it with a two-run single. Even after the Braves retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a homer by Freddie Freeman, the Red Sox surged back with two outs in the ninth. The hero is Brandon Phillips, who punctuated his first Major League game of the season with a go-ahead, two-run homer that paved the way for a 9-8 win.