Porcello shocks world with 3-run double off Scherzer

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nobody saw this coming, especially Rick Porcello.

With two outs in the second inning, and Mitch Moreland Brock Holt standing at third and second base, respectively, Washington manager Dave Martinez chose to intentionally walk Jackie Bradley Jr. to get to Porcello. The move backfired. 

After going to 0-2 on Porcello, Nationals starter Max Scherzer saw Porcello rip a 96 mph fastball into the left-center field gap to clear the bases and give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

"I wish I had a lot to say, but I don't really know what happened," said Porcello, who admitted it was the fastest pitch he had ever made contact with. "Obviously I know he's got a big fastball and I got lucky. He got to the top of his windup and I told myself to start swinging and I hit it."

"That's baseball right there," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora after his team's 4-3 win over the Nationals. "I always believe if there's somebody in that batter's box with a bat, they always have a chance. Pitchers are going to make mistakes, they're going to put a good swing on it, run into something. One thing about rick and you guys know it, he'll compete. Even in the second at-bat, I told him to just take three pitches and he couldn't help himself to take three pitches. But very happy with the performance, obviously with the swing and put us ahead. Tough conditions out there. Very hot and for him to go six and give us a chance to win that was outstanding."

It was Porcello's sixth big league hit in 33 at-bats, with his only other RBIs coming in his first game as a batter in 2009.

This season hitters had been just 5-for-42 (.119) against Scherzer with runners in scoring position and two outs, with a .115 batting average with runners in scoring position in any situation, the second-best mark in the majors.

"I almost missed first base," Porcello said. "I kept running and all of a sudden Goody (first base coach Tom Goodwin) was behind me, so that wasn't good. I got on second base and it set in that we scored and scored three runs. This game was huge. It was just a cool moment. I was pretty excited."

Porcello would notch his 10th win of the season, givingup two runs over six innings.

Per @baseball_ref it appears that is the first multi RBI hit by a #RedSox pitcher since the advent of the DH. And Mike Benjamin shouldn't even count!@bradfo @TimNeverett pic.twitter.com/NiKFSV9zsf

Rick Porcello out here hitting casual bases loaded doubles off Max Scherzer pic.twitter.com/Y3e67CNM4H