Bobby Dalbec has had a slow start to the 2022 season but advice from a former Red Sox first baseman might have helped boost the confidence of the 26-year-old.
Boston scored a season-high 11 runs in its win over the Rangers on Sunday. Dalbec got his chance to start after Alex Verdugo was deemed unable to play due to a right foot contusion. The first baseman went 2-for-5, recorded an RBI single and scored two runs.
“It feels good,” Dalbec said about his performance Saturday to NESN’s Jahmai Webster, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I haven’t been playing very much recently, so I’ve been taking a lot of swings, lots of early work. It feels good, just trying to swing through it, figure it out. So I felt like I made some good strides the last few days, and today, felt pretty good.”
Dalbec and NESN broadcaster and 2004 World Series champion Kevin Millar shared a chat before the game. Millar said “the luggage” is in Dalbec’s hands.
“He just told me it’s early, even though it feels like it’s not, and all the pressure that comes from playing in Boston and how to deal with that,” Dalbec told Webster. “Just take it one day at a time, one pitch at a time and I think that’s what he was really good at, something I’m striving to be better at.”
It was only a matter of time until someone on the Red Sox would follow manager Alex Cora’s beard superstition. Dalbec has chosen to grow out a mustache to shake off his early-season struggles.
“Absolutely, it is,” Dalbec said in response to Webster’s question about growing his mustache to switch things up for himself. “I know it doesn’t come in very thick, but maybe it will come in in a couple of months.”
Dalbec and the Red Sox will try to complete a three-game series sweep of the Rangers on Sunday behind first-time starter Austin Davis. First pitch is set for 2:35 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field. Full coverage of the game will be on NESN following an hour of pregame.
