Against all odds, the Boston Red Sox have put together yet another win.
They defeated Cleveland 4-3 on Saturday thanks to a walk-off single from Alex Verdugo — not long after the Indians erased a three-run lead in the ninth inning.
It didn’t come easy, though, and the series-clinching victory was made possible by the entire team’s effort.
Sure, pitcher Tanner Houck was expected to throw a solid start, and there’s no surprise that Verdugo or Rafael Devers made huge contributions. But with much of their lineup still on the COVID-19 related injured list, many stepped up.
“We’re doing everything to maximize our lineup,” manager Alex Cora shared after the game. “We know we bunch all those guys on top of the lineup, and Jonathan (Araúz) and Jack (López) — they got to do their part, right? And today they did again. Three sac bunts, a walk I think somewhere there. They play great defense and this is not about names, it’s about a team, right? And sometimes the roster is going to be different on certain days. And it’s been different for four days and it just happened that we started playing good baseball.”
In addition to Araúz and López turning double plays and advancing runners, Travis Shaw’s ninth-inning single allowed the Red Sox to rally. Phillips Valdez threw two crucial frames of scoreless relief. Taylor Motter, whom Boston just claimed off waivers, ended up scoring the game-winning run.
“Where we’re at right now we have to trust everybody,” Cora said.
Boston has had to do just that out of necessity, and it’s helped them gain some ground in the American League standings. Cora’s team has shown a lot of resilience despite all their adversity, but he’s about to learn a lot more about them through this last shorthanded stretch.
“We’re about to find out. Today is what? September 4, and we know where we are in the standings.”
— About those standings, Boston is just half a game behind the New York Yankees for second place in the American League East — and the first AL Wild Card spot.
— The seventh inning was a big one for Boston and Rafael Devers. In a scoreless game, Devers took a three-run homer 419 feet for the first run of the game. It put him at a career-high 33 home runs this season and made for his 98th, 99th and 100th RBI on the year.
— Another no decision for Tanner Houck, though he came close to his first win on the mound. He gave up three hits but no runs or walks on Saturday, striking out seven in just five innings. Some hoped to see the starter go longer than that.
“We got to manage the game the way we feel is appropriate to win ballgames and he did an amazing job for five innings,” Cora said.
— Boston won the series, but one more victory will seal a sweep. First pitch between the Red Sox and Indians is Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET live from Fenway Park.
