Eduardo Nunez was more than ready when manager Alex Cora called his number Thursday night in the Boston Red Sox’s 7-6, walk-off win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
Nunez pinch ran for Mitch Moreland with one out in the ninth inning after the latter doubled home Mookie Betts to tie the score 6-6. He wasted little time in leaving his mark, aggressively stealing third base and ultimately scoring the winning run when Rafael Devers singled into right field.
“I was telling (Cora), ‘I want to go in. I want to do something for the team. I have to go in. I have to steal a base. We have to win tonight,’ ” Nunez told reporters after the game, per MassLive.com.
The Blue Jays intentionally walked J.D. Martinez with Nunez on second base and first base open after Moreland’s game-tying double to center field. Nunez then swiped third base with Xander Bogaerts at the plate, capitalizing on the information he learned while preparing for the moment.
“I watched some video, watched him move, how he delivered the ball,” Nunez said of Blue Jays closer Ken Giles, who unraveled in the ninth inning after retiring Andrew Benintendi to begin the frame. “I won’t tell you what I saw.”
Bogaerts ended up drawing a walk as Giles essentially pitched around the Red Sox shortstop following Nunez’s steal. Devers then hit a high chopper into right field to send Nunez scampering home.
“We understand we are not playing good baseball, but there were flashes today,” Cora told reporters. “That play by (Nunez). He pinch runs, he studied (Giles). He was ready from the seventh inning on. He asked for a video of Giles. And boom, he’s at third. So that’s good to see.”
The Red Sox’s win improved their record to 4-9. We’ll see if they can carry the momentum, at which point Nunez’s stolen base would look even more important.
