Kyle Schwarber didn’t need to make a game-changing swing to impact the game Thursday night in a series-clinching win over the Minnesota Twins.
Instead, the Red Sox designated hitter showcased his patience at the plate to the tune of four walks. Schwarber, who chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom acquired ahead of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, reached base on all five of his trips to the plate. He scored one run with one hit, as well.
“It’s just the quality of the at-bats. He’s always under control,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said during a postgame video conference. “He’s so tidy and he’s always on time, his swing decisions are quote-on-quote easy. He makes it easy for himself just getting down and see the ball. There were some close pitches and he doesn’t even offer. I think those two up there (along with leadoff man Kiké Hernández) did an amazing job.”
Hernández was 1-for-4 with one walk, reaching base on two of his five trips to the plate. And it comes after both Hernández and Schwarber were 3-for-6 during Wednesday’s loss with both reaching base twice during Tuesday’s win.
“We kept the line moving,” Cora said.
Cora noted before Thursday’s game how he was hoping J.D. Martinez would become more patient at the plate in an effort to get him out of a “mini slump.” Unfortunately Martinez, batting behind Hernández and Schwarber, went 0-for-5 in Thursday’s win further continuing a poor stretch.
Boston will travel to Cleveland for the first of three games against the Indians on Friday. First pitched is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET and you can watch it live on NESN.
