Getting the call-up to the bigs is something each player handles differently.
Some take the Rafael Devers approach and make an immediate impact, while others may take some time adjusting to the new scene.
Michael Chavis certainly has made an impact right away, on the field through his play and off the field with his candid and energetic interviews.
The infielder went 2-for-4 for the second straight game, providing three RBI’s in Monday’s 9-4 win over the Oakland Athletics. He’s now hitting .286 with three home runs and eight RBI’s in his first 28 major league at-bats. Not bad for a rookie.
As genuine and euphoric as his interviews have been, Chavis has taken a mature approach to his contributions. When asked about his recent hot streak, the 23-year-old told NESN’s Guerin Austin that he’s just trying to help the team.
“Just helping the team,” Chavis said. “Not trying to be anything special or anything crazy. Just do my part wherever I’m needed and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
If Chavis can keep this up, Boston will have a steady bat for the foreseeable future.
Here are some other notes from Monday’s Red Sox-Athletics game:
— Mookie Betts was 3-for-4 with an RBI in the win, extending his hit streak to five games. He’s been on a roll as of late and credited his cage work with providing some results.
“Every day hitting early,” Betts said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Just grinding in that cage. Just trying to be consistent and focusing on competing for the most part.”
— Boston trailed 4-0 early in this one, but used a six-run third inning to take the lead. Despite being down early, the Red Sox knew they were capable of coming back, according to Chavis.
“Everybody was staying positive,” Chavis said. “Earlier today we had a conversation where they said we’re capable of putting up five runs easy.”
Betts enjoyed the their big third inning as well.
“Great to see everyone trying to do their part,” Betts said about the six-run outburst. “Not trying to do too much. Just doing what we can to score runs.”
— Manager Alex Cora was happy with the comeback win, but isn’t going to overreact about one win.
“I’m not going to get caught up in ‘we’re getting better’ (narratives),” Cora said on NESN’s postgame coverage. “It’s just one day. We played good today.”
— Hector Velazquez came in to pitch the ninth, but ran into some trouble after getting one out. Two walks and a hit loaded the bases, which led Cora to summon Matt Barnes from the bullpen. Velazquez is Boston’s probable starter for Wednesday night, and he’s still good to go after his brief outing according to the Red Sox’s manager.
“He’s ready to pitch on Wednesday,” Cora said frankly.
— Monday’s win snapped Boston’s two-game losing streak, improving their record to 12-17.
As of the conclusion of Monday night’s game, they now trail the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays by 7 1/2 games.
