The Red Sox scored more runs than their opponent. Apparently this is allowed. Who knew? Also, CYCLE FOR BROCK HOLT.
Top Play (WPA): The Red Sox broke yesterday’s game open with a three-run sixth, and unsurprisingly the top play came from this inning. A couple at-bats after Xander Bogaerts knocked in the go-ahead run, Alejandro De Aza rocked a two-out double to the left-center gap (0.159) that knocked in two more and gave Boston the 5-2 lead. The rally got started with a leadoff triple off the bat of Mookie Betts (0.151). It wasn’t Betts’ only big play of the game, as he got the scoring started with an RBI double (0.094) in the first.
Bottom Play (WPA): In true 2015 Red Sox fashion, Boston claimed ownership of the two worst plays of yesterday’s game despite coming away with the win. In that same sixth inning mentioned above, David Ortiz followed up Betts’ triple with a line-out to second (-0.067). To his credit, he smoked the ball and it was bad luck that it ended up right at a defender, but it sure seemed like the Red Sox would blow that inning. Continuing the 2015 Red Sox theme, the second worst play from either team in yesterday’s game resulted in a run. Pablo Sandoval came up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first, but grounded into a 6-4-3 double play (-0.053) that scored Betts. The worst play by WPA for the losing Braves was when former fan favorite A.J. Pierzynski flew out with men on first and second and one out (-0.051) in the seventh inning.
Key Moment: The key moment in this one for me was that sixth inning. After being frustrated by this offense all season long, it was nice for them to finally come through in a big spot. After Betts’ triple, my only thought was how they would manage to strand him at third base with nobody out. Sure, he scored on a ground ball to second and would have likely been out with a better throw, but it didn’t matter. They finally came through, and continued to hit the ball well for the rest of the game to expand the lead. The team needed that kind of outburst, and my mental health needed it as well.
The other key moment, of course, was Brock Holt’s triple in the eighth that gave him Boston’s first cycle since Will Smith’s masterpiece Independence Day was the number one movie in America and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony boasted the nation’s top song.
Trends to Watch: I can’t remember the first time I was able to be overwhelmingly positive in this section, so I’m going to run with it. We’ll start with Betts. He’s had a relatively tough year, but he has certainly looked better the last few games. He now has seven hits in his last three games with three of them going for extra bases.
In that same vein, Sandoval looks like his old self at the plate. It appears he has officially given up switch hitting, and while the numbers still don’t look great, he looks more comfortable against left-handed pitching. He’s now riding a seven-game hitting streak and has multiple hits in five of those games.
Finally, Wade Miley had another solid start yesterday, flashing the strikeout stuff that has been so lacking from him this season. He’ll need to string a few of these starts together, though, as he’s shown flashes before but has been largely inconsistent.
Coming Next: The Red Sox continue* their series against the Braves tonight, though they’ll be playing by the devil’s National League’s rules in Atlanta. Joe Kelly will be facing off against Alex Wood. Kelly will look to build upon a little streak of non-disaster starts while Wood looks to continue his typically solid season. The series will end Thursday night with an intriguing Clay Buchholz-Shelby Miller matchup.
*I’m aware these are technically two separate series, but the same two teams are playing four games in a row and I refuse to call that anything besides a single series. I will hear no counterargument.
Photo by Mark L. Baer/USA Today Sports Images