Mookie Betts worked a 13-pitch at-bat into a grand slam, but the chaos started long before that swing. J.A. Happ was on the mound and nearly escaped the inning early with a tailor-made double play, but replay ruled the runner safe at second. Instead of two outs, there were none. A few slow infield plays followed, plus another blown double play attempt, loading the bases while the defense squandered multiple chances. One run scored on a groundout, but the inning stayed alive.
With two outs and the bases full, Betts walked in. Happ, a fastball pitcher, tried to work the zone vertically. He missed big with one right down the middle, then induced what should have been a third out but the right fielder couldn’t hang on. That made four outs if everything had gone right. Instead, Betts stayed alive by spoiling pitch after pitch, fouling off heaters and off-speed down in the zone. Fenway got loud, sensing something big.
On the 13th pitch, Happ went low again, likely hoping Mookie would chase. Betts didn’t just chase, he unloaded. Grand slam. The crowd roared. A kid in the stands went nuts. Maybe cried. Jaws dropped across the stadium. Mookie nearly tripped rounding the bases but caught himself and screamed his way home. A brutal inning for Happ, a moment Boston fans won’t forget.