For the second consecutive game, Boston relinquished an early lead.
Once again, clutch hitting led them to victory.
After falling behind 3-1 in the seventh inning to Miami, the horizon looked bleak for the Red Sox, struggling in their quest to garner their third straight win. However, their resilience was evident, as shortstop Xander Bogaerts, currently cast on the All-Star Game's Final Vote, knocked a crucial two-out three-RBI single to provide his team with an insurmountable 4-3 advantage, one which Boston would not cough up.
Bogaerts finished 2-for-4 and first baseman Travis Shaw went 3-for-4 (including his first big league hit) for the Red Sox, victors of eight of their last 11 contests. Starter Wade Miley contributed another quality effort, allowing just three runs on seven hits while striking out nine batters in 6.2 innings, and the bullpen was exceptional, as setup man Junichi Tazawa (1-3) worked a perfect eight inning for the win, and closer Koji Uehara captured his 20th save of the season with an impeccable ninth.
Despite an admirable performance from starter Dan Haren, who allowed just a single run on six hits in six innings of work, the woeful Marlins were unable to walk away with a victory. Relief pitcher Steve Cishek (2-6), despite not being charged with a single earned run, yielded bases to each of the three runners who scored on Bogaerts' single in the seventh, receiving the loss. Center fielder Christian Yelich went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Miami, while right fielder Cole Gillespie went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
The win brings the Red Sox to within five games of .500, sitting 5.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East after having won three in a row.