What can you even say at this point? Normally, I love doing a big, deep dive analysis in these game recaps, but tonight we’re going straight to the highlights because this was a complete ass-whipping and doesn’t need any further introduction.
So here we go, starting with the Willson Contreras single that got things started in the first.
The big blast came later in the inning from Caleb Durbin. Here’s his grand slam to make it 5-0:
Jarren Duran then immediately added another homer for good measure. (Random side note: He looked very relaxed tonight, and it wouldn’t shock me if he feels relief after not being traded. Something to watch if he starts heating up out of nowhere.)
From there, the most notable additional swings came off the bat of Wilyer Abreu. Specifically, he blasted a pair of bombs to deep centerfield in the fifth an eighth inning that went a combined 849 feet. Here are those highlights:
And all that completely omits the sixth inning, in which the Red Sox put up another six-spot to match the first inning. Here’s my favorite highlight from that rally (I always love when balls rattle around in the garage door)
Again, there’s not much to add to this one in terms of situational analysis. If you REALLY want to get picky (and my cynical ass does), you could try and nitpick Patrick Sandoval for not throwing enough strikes (he walked four guys and only threw 56 percent of his pitches for strikes), but he still managed to make it through five innings and not force the bullpen to cover too much ground.
This biggest thing to take away from this game is the same thing we should be taking away from the entire hot streak. Just enjoy it! What we’re witnessing here is something you may never see again. This team was dead in the water 14 games under .500, and now they’re ten games over at 61-51 with a boatload of talent still sitting on the IL and look like a bigger juggernaut by the day. Like, what? I’ve watched every single game of this turnaround, and I still can’t believe or explain it.
Nothing makes sense right now, and that’s a major reason why it’s so awesome. This is the type of run you tell future generations about, so soak it in as much as you can. THIS is the good stuff!
Three (Group) Studs
You could have about ten studs in this game, so let’s cheat and put them in three groups.
The guys who went deep: Caleb Durbin (grand slam), Wilyer Abreu (two bombs), and Jarren Duran (still alive).
The guys who hit with runners in scoring position: The team went 8-12 with runners in scoring position, and seven different guys had at least one run RBI. Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, Willson Contreras, and Andruw Monasterio all knocked in runs without going deep.
The notable relievers: Erik Miller made a successful Red Sox debut striking out Tristan Peters to end the sixth (Chad Tracy called it a “soft landing” in the postgame), and then Brayan Bello threw three scoreless innings to close things out. For Bello, this both kept all the other high leverage relivers rested, and also sustained sub 1.00 ERA out of the bullpen. (Another thing that doesn’t make any sense, but we’re just gonna stick with because it’s working insanely well.)
Two Duds
Connor Wong: An 0-4 night at the plate and the only Sox starter without a knock. There’s a reason this team traded for Adley Rutschman (who was in the dugout chatting it up with multiple starters tonight).
The challengers: Both teams burned both of their challenges by the sixth inning. Home plate umpire Brennan Miller was on his game tonight, and if this thing was remotely close, he would’ve had all the high leverage calls to himself.
Play of the game:
It’s Durbin’s grand slam. Might as well watch it again. This freaking team man. I’m speechless!
