Craig Kimbrel Texts Red Sox’s Matt Barnes After First Save Of 2019

Craig Kimbrel may not be part of the Boston Red Sox’s roster anymore, but that didn’t stop him from reaching out to Matt Barnes on Friday night.

The Red Sox pitcher closed out Friday’s thrilling 7-6 win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park, earning his first save of the year, and first since the 2017 season. After the game, Barnes revealed his former teammate — who amassed 108 saves over his three seasons in Boston — sent him a text congratulating him on the save.

“I was fortunate enough to have Craig here for multiple years,” Barnes said, via MassLive. “Learned a lot from him and the way he goes about his business and conducts himself. So I try to pull on some of that stuff. He’s been a great friend.”

While Barnes hasn’t been named the Red Sox’s next closer officially, Boston manager Alex Cora showed he had enough confidence in his pitcher to close out a game that’s in a high-leverage situation.