McCarthy's 9th-Inning Triple Robs Boston of a Deserved Win

Jake McCarthy tripled to left in the ninth inning, scoring three runs to flip a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 Colorado walk-off victory. The win probability swung from 47% to 100% on a single swing — the most brutal kind of loss.

For eight innings, this looked like Jake Bennett's masterpiece. The Boston starter threw 6.0 innings of four-hit, zero-run ball, walking nobody and striking out nine. That's a performance that wins most baseball games. Ryan Feltner, working the same six innings for Colorado, gave up 2 earned runs on 4 hits and issued 4 walks — the kind of outing that typically ends in a loss. Boston did exactly what you're supposed to do against a shaky starter: make him pay.

The Red Sox struck in the sixth. Wilyer Abreu scored when Willson Contreras doubled to right, putting Boston up 1-0. One batter later, Caleb Durbin singled to left and Contreras came around to score, pushing it to 2-0. Contreras went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored; Durbin went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Tyler Freeman was the lone bright spot in Colorado's lineup through eight frames, going 3-for-4, but the Rockies couldn't convert. Victor Vodnik came out of the Colorado bullpen and threw 2.0 innings of scoreless, hitless ball — keeping the deficit manageable, though it appeared to be a moot point heading into the final frame.

Then the ninth happened. With Boston's bullpen holding a 2-0 lead, McCarthy stepped up and lined a triple to left, scoring Rumfield, Goodman, and Carrigg in one shot — a three-run, game-ending gut punch. Colorado went from a 47% win probability to 100% in a single at-bat, a 53-point swing that erased everything Bennett built. The story of the night was a Boston team that outpitched and largely outhit its opponent for eight innings, only to lose on one swing. McCarthy finished 1-for-4 with all 3 of Colorado's RBI. It's worth noting that the Red Sox are already dealing with roster attrition — utility infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa was placed on the IL with left forearm inflammation, per ESPN — so this loss stings a little more than the final line suggests. Boston's pitching gave them every reason to win. Their bullpen gave it back in the worst way possible.