Ryan Kalish Delivers Much Needed Spark to Red Sox Offense With Go-Ahead RBI

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Jun 18, 2012

Ryan Kalish Delivers Much Needed Spark to Red Sox Offense With Go-Ahead RBIWhen Ryan Kalish first cracked the majors in 2010, he provided a spark.

And in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Cubs, Kalish celebrated his promotion from Pawtucket by driving in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning of the game. His RBI single broke the 3-3 deadlock, and it snowballed into a turning point for the Red Sox.

"I can bring that energy to the ballpark that is really good for a team," he told reporters in Chicago before the game. "That's what I want to do. These guys are all about winning, and that's what I'm about, and that's what I want to do."

Considering the team's offense was reeling in recent weeks, his presence was the spark the Red Sox needed. Shortly after Kalish unloaded his single, Will Middlebrooks smacked a deep sac fly in his only at-bat of game.

As the circulation continued on the base paths, Daniel Nava filled in admirably for Scott Podsednik –– who exited with a groin injury –– in his first at-bat. Nava perfectly executed a suicide squeeze that added to the scoring.

In a matter of minutes, the tie game evolved into a comfortable three-run lead for the Red Sox. It's a testament to Kalish, who capitalized on his opportunity and set the stage for the rally.

Kalish's rapid progression from his two surgeries has been a surprise. After essentially a year away from baseball action, the outfielder has been disciplined, demonstrating good pitch selection –– an element that's typically rusty after being shelved for such a long time.

His five home runs in the minors and Sunday's RBI single also bode well for the Red Sox.

With Kalish, Nava and Middlebrooks keying the surge to take the series finale, it was a reminder of the unpredictability of baseball. When the season started in April, none of those three were in the team's short-term plans.

Have a question for Didier Morais? Send it to him via Twitter at @DidierMorais or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

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