Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts found himself in a worrisome slump during the late part of the regular season.
But Bogaerts, who was 2-for-23 during a six-game stretch before recording three hits over the final three games of the regular season, never lost his confidence.
"I know a lot of it I take responsibility for because, I mean, coming down a stretch like this it's a bad time to be playing bad baseball," Bogaerts said after Boston dropped its three-game series to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. "But sometimes it happens. It happens to the best of them. But you can't keep a good guy down for too long."
You can't keep a good guy down for too long.
That quote hit a bit differently Tuesday night as Bogaerts gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead with a home run off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole in the first inning.
Kyle Schwarber added to the cause in the third inning, as well, with his solo shot to right field. It gave Boston a 3-0 lead.
Cole was pulled shortly after. He completed just two innings in the win-or-go-home contest.
You can watch the Red Sox-Yankees broadcast on ESPN with postgame coverage to follow on NESN.
