As an opposing pitcher, there are no breaks as you work through the Red Sox’s batting order.
Getting through the likes of Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers, of course, is no easy task, but the bottom of Boston’s lineup can present relatively similar challenges. Hunter Renfroe, Christian Dalbec and Bobby Dalbec, among others, are more than capable of doing serious damage from the 7-8-9 spots.
Take Tuesday night, for example, when Renfroe went 3-for-4 with two RBIs against the Tigers at Fenway Park. The veteran slugger roped an RBI single in the first, smacked a double in the third and crushed a solo homer in the eighth as Boston topped Detroit 11-7 in the clubs’ series opener.
Speaking with the media after the game, Renfroe explained one perk the Red Sox’s offense has that most clubs across the big leagues don’t.
“You’ve got guys in the bottom of the lineup who can hit the ball 500 feet,” Renfroe told reporters, per MLB.com. “I think that’s a pretty special (element at the bottom of the lineup) that not a lot of people have. It could just take the load off of Bogaerts, and J.D. and those guys at the top of the lineup knowing that they don’t have to necessarily be on their A-game when you’ve got guys at the bottom of the lineup picking up their slack.”
The long ball Renfroe hit Tuesday was more than just an insurance run for the Red Sox. It also was the 100th career home run for the sixth-year pro.
