Editor's note: NESN.com is going to tell the story of the 2012 Red Sox in Bobby Valentine's words. Each game day, we will select the best Valentine quote that sums up the day for the Red Sox.
Pedro Ciriaco is not going to finish the season batting .625. He might not even finish this season in the major leagues. But for now, for as long as they can, the Red Sox are riding their hot hand — at just about the best possible moment for the team.
Ciriaco delivered again on Friday night against Tampa Bay, driving in what proved to be the two game-winning runs in the Sox' 3-1 win over the Rays. It's a big win not only because the Red Sox entered the All-Star break having lost six of their last seven, but because the team simply could not afford another slow start.
Along with a strong outing by Franklin Morales (five innings, two hits, no runs, five strikeouts), Ciriaco became the latest unfamiliar face to step up for the Red Sox during their tumultuous season.
So far this year, save for David Ortiz, of course, the biggest performers for the team have time and again been the unsung heroes, the no-names of the roster. Daniel Nava. Will Middlebrooks. Felix Doubront. Mike Aviles. The list goes on.
We're still waiting for Carl Crawford to show what he can do in a Red Sox uniform. We're still looking for Josh Beckett and Jon Lester to find consistency and return to the ace form that we've come to expect from them. The top performers for the Sox in 2012 have been the unheralded guys stepping up for a week or for a month at a time. But Bobby Valentine is aware that there's an expiration date on these hot streaks, and sometimes you just need to ride them.
For now, the Red Sox look unbeatable with their farm system producing piece after piece to plug into the puzzle and keep chugging along.
That's not a sustainable model, however, and ultimately the team's fate will rest with the big names producing.
Pedro Ciriaco may carry the Red Sox this night, but he might not be able to the next one. That's where Adrian Gonzalez needs to deliver, where Clay Buchholz needs to live up to his top billing.
The team's spry second baseman can hold the fort over for a little while longer, and while he does that's fantastic. Sooner or later, though, the magic will run out for Ciriaco. When that happens, the next guy to step up better be ready.
