The Boston Red Sox pulled out a 4-2 win Friday against the Washington Nationals, and we don't need to tell you how crucial it was for them to get that result.
But to put it in perspective, with two games left in the regular season, four teams are within two games of each other in competition for two American League wild card spots.
"This is where we're at and we've got to take advantage of every day," manager Alex Cora said via Zoom after the game. "Not too many teams can say that they're still in the hunt, so just try to enjoy as much as possible but you gotta get locked in for tomorrow."
Taking the series opener helped Boston gain a full game on the New York Yankees, now just one game back of the top wild card position. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays dropped one to the Tampa Bay Rays, also good for Boston's case.
But the Seattle Mariners are surging at the right time. Their game against the Los Angeles Angels could see them pull even with the Red Sox by Saturday morning, but there is one thing Boston can control the last two regular season games.
"I think more than anything it's just go out there and just leave it on the line, give it everything you got," Hunter Renfroe said after the game.
"I think that's easy for guys to do because this is the last two games, going into these last two games we're giving everything we have."
Buckle up, this ride isn't over yet.
Here are more notes from Red Sox-Nationals:
-- Eduardo Rodriguez had a solid start despite not making it as deep into the sixth as he would have liked. The lefty improved to 12-8 on the mound with five scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
"Eddie was really good, really good," Cora said. "His fastball was great. He was able to elevate, kept them off balanced, made some pitches in the fifth inning."
-- Saturday's starting pitcher is TBD as things stand now. Cora shared his staff will sit down to discuss after the game.
-- Bobby Dalbec's sixth-inning home run was his 33rd of the season, putting him in elite company. After his solo shot Friday, the infielder passed Ted Williams for the third-most homers through their first 155 MLB games, per Red Sox Notes on Twitter.
"He's been incredible, I mean he saved this whole entire season with his second half," Renfroe said of Dalbec. "He's stroking the ball like he can, and it's impressive. He's a big boy and anytime he makes contact it's loud and it's fun to watch him. He's done a great job over there at first base as well."
-- Renfroe's three-run homer has him quite close to achieving a 100-RBI season. And while some players might pretend they don't care about individual accomplishments, the outfielder wasn't going to be bashful about it.
"Everybody in this league wants to have 100 RBI, 20-plus homeruns," Renfroe said. "Get 100 runs for the team, you know? That's a team player, if you get RBIs, I feel like you're doing something for the team, you're providing for the team."
-- On defense, Kiké Hernández and J.D. Martinez made a pair of great plays. First, Hernández saved his team from a bases-loaded jam by making a diving scoop of an infield grounder worth the watch.
"It's amazing because he hasn't played second base in a while," Cora said of Hernández. "They hit that soft ground ball and I was like, I seen that plenty of times lately you know? Like slow grounders for an infield hit. And just everything one motion, Bobby with a great pick. It was outstanding."
Later in the game, J.D. Martinez got in on the Red Sox's outfield assist action recording one of his own.
-- Happy birthday Xander Bogaerts. The shortstop turned 29 on Friday and Nationals pitchers gave him quite the gift in walking him three times.
-- For Washington, this was Juan Soto's 52nd time in his career reaching base four or more times in a game. Per his team, he joins Ted Williams as the only player to accomplish that before turning 23.
-- The Red Sox and Nationals go at it again Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET live from Nationals Park before closing out the season against each other on Sunday.
