Red Sox manager Alex Cora stuck with Garrett Richards heading into the seventh inning, and the right-hander clearly appreciated it after Boston’s 2-1 win over the New York Mets.
Richards, who went seven innings while scattering seven hits and striking out 10, had allowed two baserunners in the sixth inning. He got out of that jam while stranding one runner in scoring position. And that was after stranding runners at the corners in the fourth inning and allowing more traffic in the fifth.
Cora, though, kept going back to Richards. And the confidence he depicted paid off in more ways than one. Richards didn’t allow a baserunner in the seventh and it further cemented his appreciation for his manager.
“It’s huge. I didn’t really know what was going to happen there coming into the sixth, knowing that I was coming up in the order. But I have all the confidence in (Cora) and his decision-making and he’s an ex-player, you know, which goes a long way,” Richards told reporters after the game.
“I value his opinion, and just in the short amount of time that I’ve got to watch him kind of orchestrate this team and how flow the game goes. I couldn’t be happier,” Richards continued. “He’s a guy that I feel like, if we’re getting in a foxhole, we want him in our foxhole. So that goes a long way from a player standpoint, so I got nothing but respect for Alex Cora.”
Red Sox reliever Matt Andriese came on in the eighth and retired the side in order. Matt Barnes then sat the Mets down in order in the ninth en route to the save.
Richards helped the Red Sox improve to 15-9 with the win. It was his first win in a Red Sox uniform.
Boston returns to the diamond against the Mets on Wednesday.
