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RED SOX 5, CARDINALS 4

Mookie Betts delivers dream finish in Red Sox win

Eduardo Nunez has proven to be a valuable pickup and rookie Rafael Devers is a burgeoning star. But for the Red Sox to fulfill what is championship potential, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. must be centerpiece players.

All three have slumped over the last month, their contributions sporadic. Manager John Farrell has shuffled them around the lineup, seeking a combination that works.

It clicked on Wednesday night, the trio igniting a ninth-inning rally that gave the Sox a thrilling 5-4 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bogaerts started the comeback with a home run and Betts ended it with a two-run double, Bradley slapping his right hand on the plate for the winning run as the sellout crowd roared.

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Walking off with a win

“We’re playing nine innings and not giving up no matter what the score is. We’re learning our identity,” Betts said.

The Sox have won 12 of their last 14 games and maintained a 4½ game lead on the Yankees in the American League East. The teams start a three-game series on Friday night at Fenway.

At 69-51, the Sox have the fourth-best record in the majors after what was a rocky July.

“This team is so resilient,” Farrell said.

On a night the Red Sox honored their 1967 team, coming back from a two-run deficit in the ninth against the Cardinals wasn’t the impossible dream. But it didn’t seem likely.

Bogaerts led off with a home run to left center off Trevor Rosenthal. It was his first since July 5. Mitch Moreland then drew a walk.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny replaced Rosenthal with lefthander Zach Duke.

“Something didn’t look right,” Matheny said.

Farrell also made some moves. Chris Young ran for Moreland and Brock Holt pinch hit for Christian Vazquez.

Holt saw eight pitches before striking out swinging at a slider. Bradley then walked to push the tying run into scoring position.

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In came righthander John Brebbia to face Eduardo Nunez. Ahead 0 and 2, Brebbia held the ball while looking back at Young at second base.

Umpire Chris Segal called time, which angered catcher Yadier Molina. He jumped up and shouted at the umpire. When Matheny interceded, he was ejected.

“[Segal] said he needed time out. The fact that he was going at it with our catcher, you hate to see that at that particular point in the game,” said Matheny, who was held back by two other umpires from going after Segal. “A lot of barking going on almost all game long with the strike zone.”

After the ruckus abated, Nunez fouled out. Betts was next.

Down 1 and 2, he took two sliders off the outside corner. The next pitch was over the plate and Betts lined it to left field, just above the scoreboard.

Young scored and Bradley, an excellent base runner, was quick around third base.

Jackie Bradley Jr. dives head first and beats the tag of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who couldn't hold on to the ball as Bradley scored the winning run.Jim Davis/GLOBESTAFF/Globe Staff

He had motioned to third base coach Brian Butterfield before the play to give him a chance.

“Anything off the wall, send me. Send me,” Bradley said. “It kind of helped that we got to the 3-2 count. I got a running start. It hit off the wall and I kept telling myself to get that truck off my back.”

The one-hop relay throw from shortstop Paul DeJong was accurate but Molina could not come up with the ball. Bradley initially missed the plate then scrambled to throw his hand down.

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“I didn’t know if he had the ball or not,” Bradley said.

The Sox lead the majors in outs on the bases this season. But this was an occasion where being bold paid off.

“Everybody is saying we’re too aggressive and guys are being thrown out,” Betts said. “Risk-reward, you’re going to run into some outs but you’re going to run into something like today. It’s a means to an end.”

Betts is hitting .269 this season, but .390 with runners in scoring position.

“That seems how this year is going. When guys are on I seem to do better. I trying to do good all the time, but if that’s the side I’m going to err on, I’ll be happy with that,” he said.

The Cardinals scored four runs in what was an ugly 32-pitch second inning for Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez.

Molina led off with a double to center field before Jedd Gyorko walked. Kolten Wong’s single to center field scored Molina.

Luke Voit doubled to left field and Gyorko scored.

With Matt Carpenter up, Vazquez tried to frame a pitch and the ball deflected off his glove. Wong scored on the passed ball, the ninth charged to Vazquez this season.

Carpenter singled to the gap in left, the ball falling just in front of Bradley. Voit had to hold up to see if the ball was caught and Bradley fired to the plate.

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Vazquez tried a swipe tag and the ball flew out of his glove. Voit was safe and Carpenter went all the way to third.

Tommy Pham singled to center, the ball again landing close 0to Bradley. This time Bradley did get the runner at the plate, his throw clocked at 96 miles per hour.

“It’s amazing when you sit back and watch what he does. It’s art. He’s the best in the league,” Betts said.

Rodriguez did not allow another run in his 5⅓ innings and retired eight of the last nine batters he faced. He gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out six.

“He finally got his changeup in the mix,” Farrell said. “I thought he had a much better pitch mix from the third inning on.”

The Sox scored twice off Lance Lynn in the third inning.

Vazquez singled and Bradley walked to start the inning. When Nunez tapped a ball to the left side of the mound, Lynn threw wildly to first and Vazquez scored. Bradley ended at third and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Betts.

The Sox swept four games from the Cardinals this season and are 13-4 in interleague games.

Box score: Red Sox 5, Cardinals 4

More scenes from the game

Xander Bogaerts got the Red Sox comeback started in the ninth inning with a lead off solo home run. Jim Davis/ Globe Staff
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and home plate umpire Chris Segal go head to heqd during a ninth inning argument. Matheny was thrown out of the game.Jim Davis
Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez and catcher Christian Vazquez confer after the Cardinals put runners on second and third in the top of the third inning.Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.