There was a new face in the Boston Red Sox’s lineup Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers.
Highly touted prospect Sam Travis made his Major League Baseball debut just one day after being called up to the big league club. The 23-year-old would make his presence known, as he recorded two hits and helped the Sox pick up a 9-4 victory at Fenway Park.
Red Sox manager John Farrell was impressed with Travis’ debut performance, both with the glove and the bat.
“I don’t know if you can do a whole lot better,” Farrell said, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “He had some nice plays defensively, but he looks so comfortable in the batter’s box. It was a special night for him and his family. It was nice to see him contribute in his first game.”
Travis beat out an infield single in the fifth inning for his first major league knock. And after ripping a single up the middle in the seventh, the first baseman hustled home on a Josh Rutledge pinch-hit single to tie the score at three.
The youngster’s high motor and effort was on full display in his debut, which wasn’t lost on Wednesday’s starter, Chris Sale.
“It’s special,” Sale said of Travis’ performance. “He had a big night, and it says a lot about him. He’s not very flashy, he’s just about baseball.”
Though it’s just one game, Travis showed he’s not afraid of the big stage. His addition to the roster provides Boston with much-needed depth at first base, as Mitch Moreland has started all but three games this season.
For a Red Sox team that has yet to get over the hump and get on a serious roll, Travis’ presence could provide the club with the spark it needs in order to take off.
Here are some other notes from Red Sox vs. Rangers.
— The Red Sox’s offense has started to heat up, scoring 32 runs in the last three games. Boston has scored an average of 6.6 runs per game since May 6, which leads the big leagues.
— Sale’s double-digit strikeout streak came to an end, but his six punchouts brought him to 101 on the season. The left-hander joins Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens as the only pitchers to log 100-plus strikeouts through the first 10 starts of a season.
— Travis became the first Red Sox hitter to record a multi-hit game in their major league debut since Will Middlebrooks did so in 2012.
— Mookie Betts drove in two runs in the game. The right fielder is batting .395 with runners in scoring position this season.
— The Red Sox seem to get the bats going in the latter stages of the game, as they’ve outscored their opponents 95-55 in the seventh inning or later.
— Moreland and Josh Rutledge both picked up pinch-hit, RBI singles in the seventh inning. Boston currently is the best pinch-hitting team in baseball with a .421 batting average.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
