Xander Bogaerts’s shoulders dropped as soon as the ball left the bat. Perhaps he felt an imaginary weight rise. It’s more likely, though, that you only knew the ball was coming out of the yard.
With his first home game of the season in his 59th bat-bat, the Bogaerts gave the Red Sox an advantage they would not give up by winning 4-2 at the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Tuesday night. The win improved the Red Sox record to 12-6, the best in the American League.
Bogaerts may not have had a long career in his first 15 games, but he posted a .927 OPS and served as a key gear in Boston’s fiery offensive. The Red Sox now add 22 homers in 19 games, the second most in the league, and lead the majors in OPS (.817).
In the fourth inning, Bogaerts stepped on the plate with two against, no exits and the Red Sox dragged for a run. This changed suddenly, as he quickly spun on a fast, strong ball and shot it at the green monster. What made the three-run shot impressive was that it produced more runs than Toronto starter Hyun Jin Ryu had allowed in any of his last six outings.
Bogaerts also doubled Ryu before the game, one of the Red Sox ‘five extra base hits tonight.
“[The Blue Jays] they needed a closing touchdown: they didn’t get it, “said Alex Cora, manager of the Red Sox.” It was a good swing. It was a good effort against a good pitcher. “
What Cora didn’t mention is that he predicted the race at home, or so Bogaerts alleges. The shortstop said Cora predicted Christian Arroyo and JD Martinez would come in and Bogaerts would take them home.
“I think all this entry, predicted Alex Cora [that], to be honest with you, “Bogaerts said.” He was saying to me, ‘Are you talking about me attacking at home? I don’t have anything from home.’
Sometimes a manager just knows it. Bogaerts ’power surge came after he called for Monday’s layoff and spent the day working in the cage and onshore.
“Obviously, you want to play, though [Cora] he talked to me a bit and I told him I needed a little mental getaway, you know, a break, “Bogaerts said.” It worked perfectly. “
‘Steady Eddie’ pushes again
Currently, there are very few launcher models, as well as Eduardo Rodriguez, which is why the nickname “Steady Eddie” makes a lot of sense.
Rodriguez worked six more innings on Tuesday, marking his 31st consecutive start of five more innings. Only Shane Bieber (36) and Justin Verlander (33) have longer active streaks.
“He’s evolving into one of the best leftists in the league,” Cora said. “It simply came to our notice then. The tempo is magnificent. It also slows down the running game. He has a good idea of what he wants to do. ”
Tonight, Rodriguez made two mistakes and they both cleaned up the wall. But the two homers were shot solo, a testament to Rodriguez’s ability to keep the Blue Jays largely off base. He worked his combination of five pitches effectively, allowing no more than one baserunner per entry.
Not surprisingly, Rodriguez’s ability to work five or more innings has yielded great results for his team. The Red Sox are 25-6 during their streak and Rodriguez has had an ERA of 3.38 along the way.
It’s fair to remember that Rodriguez has only started three initiatives since 2019 after losing all of last year with myocarditis (a complication of COVID-19). He is happy with the first hits he has had this season, including a fast ball that has hit 95 mph again, but hopes to continue sharpening his command.
“Right now, it’s simple: try to attack more batters, throw more shots and delve deeper into the game,” Rodriguez said.
He has only thrown the seventh inning twice in his last ten starts, but his five-inning baseline is nothing to scoff at, meaning he always gives Boston a chance to win.