BOSTON — The Giants and Red Sox wore throwback uniforms on Wednesday night, with both teams suiting up as they did in the 1970’s. Hanley Ramirez turned back the clock too, but he only dialed it back three years.
Ramirez turned into the 2013 Dodgers version of himself, terrorizing the Giants with the bat and glove. The fading star had his best night in Boston, slugging a career-high three homers to three different parts of Fenway Park and leading the home team to a 11-7 win in a lengthy thriller.
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The Giants fell behind 8-0 but clawed back to within a base hit of the lead. They fell short and remain winless since the All-Star break.
After three innings, it seemed a good idea for the many Giants fans in attendance to get a head start on the drive to New York. Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw hit homers off Matt Cain in the second inning and the Red Sox hit around in the third off Cain and Albert Suarez. Ramirez hit a second homer, this one a mammoth blast to center, and the Red Sox pounded out five extra-base hits while putting up a five-spot.
Teams leading by eight runs at any point in a game were 152-1 entering play Wednesday, but the Giants immediately started chipping away at a seemingly overwhelming deficit. Mac Williamson hit a three-run shot off Drew Pomeranz in the fourth and Trevor Brown cleared the Green Monster two batters later, cutting the deficit to three. In his first start for the Red Sox, Pomeranz was knocked out before recording an out in the fourth.
The Giants got two more runs back in the fifth and looked poised to complete an amazing comeback in the sixth. Brandon Belt and Buster Posey singled and Brandon Crawford drew a walk to load the bases for Williamson with no outs. But Bochy pulled the rookie back, sending Gregor Blanco up to face right-hander Matt Barnes. Blanco bounced a grounder to first and Ramirez stepped on the bag and threw home for a double play that held up after a review.
San Francisco Giants
Instead of taking the lead, the Giants were soon down by three again. Ramirez lined a shot into the seats on the Monster in the bottom of the sixth. Sandy Leon added a fifth Sox homer in the seventh.
Starting pitching report: Cain’s first start since June 13 actually got off to a great start. He retired the side in the first on just seven pitches, but the bullpen started warming up midway through the second after homers by Ramirez and Shaw. Cain was charged with five earned on six hits in just 2 1/3 innings.
Bullpen report: Suarez had an odd night. He got hit hard right away but settled in and pitched two scoreless innings as the Giants cut the lead to one. Then he gave up a two-run shot to Ramirez and his night was done. In all, Suarez was charged with five runs in three innings.
At the plate: Ramirez became the first player since Jeff Cirillo in 2000 to record three homers and at least six RBI against the Giants. He tapped out to the mound in an eighth-inning attempt at a fourth homer.
In the field: Ramiro Peña has certainly done enough to keep a roster spot when Matt Duffy and Joe Panik return. He made a spectacular sliding catch on a dead sprint toward left in the fourth inning, saving at least one run.
Attendance: The Red Sox announced a crowd of 38,201 human beings who had competing “Let’s Go Giants” and “Let’s Go Red Sox” chants that turned into just a very loud noise.
Up next: A day off! Madison Bumgarner pitches at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.