The Red Sox started off the season slow, but after a successful West Coast road trip, Boston followed it up with a dominant nine-game homestand before it goes back on the road.
The Red Sox are now 16-4 in June and have moved to 7-2 during their homestand with a win against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Boston is now a half-game back behind the Toronto Blue Jays for second in the American League East, and they maintain their second-place spot in the AL Wild Card race.
Boston also has been getting it done without some of its biggest stars. Jarren Duran and Rob Refsnyder brought in four runs in the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the Tigers, and Alex Verdugo added in two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Red Sox promised they would keep wearing their City Connect jerseys until they lost, and the streak continued Wednesday. Boston is now 11-2 overall when wearing the City Connect jerseys — 5-0 this season.
“We haven’t had one of these in a while, at home,” manager Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “For us, to go to where we want to, we have to do this. Now we go on the road, and we got Cleveland (Guardians). We got Toronto. We got the (Chicago) Cubs. Cleveland’s playing good baseball — Toronto too. Let’s just keep doing what we’re doing, and if we do that, we’re going to be okay.”
Here are more notes from Wednesday’s Red Sox-Tigers game:
— Refsnyder has been a journeyman ball player, and he has been a key contributor filling in and adding depth at the outfield position for Boston. In the last seven games with the Red Sox, the outfielder has batted .407 with a double and home run — he hit his first with Boston on Wednesday night — to go along with four RBIs and six runs.
“Such a good team from last year,” Refsnyder told NESN’s Jahmai Webster, as seen on the network’s postgame coverage. “Everyone kind of knows their roles. They got some superstars, but it seems like everything’s kind of coming together right now. Amazing to sweep a team like that. (Rafael Devers) not playing tonight, give him a day, give him an extra day. He’s one of our big guys. So to give him a day and to come out with a win, that’s really big.”
— Michael Wacha has built himself a case to make the All-Star team. Wacha is a one-time All-Star having made the NL All-Star team as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. In the last five starts, he has amassed a 3-1 record going 30 1/3 innings with a 1.78 ERA. The right-hander went six innings Wednesday night and struck out seven batters. The Red Sox are now 17-5 when a starter goes at least six innings.
“I don’t know,” Cora said when asked if he thinks Wacha should be an All-Star. “That’s a tough question for me. There’s a lot of people that are having great seasons, but at the end, obviously, the coaches will vote, and hopefully, he’s in there.”
“I really don’t think about that,” Wacha told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Just really thinking about this next start and just going from there.”
— Jeter Downs made his debut Wednesday. The 23-year-old received a special message from Derek Jeter before the game, and the Fenway faithful even chanted “Jeter” during his final at-bat — a rare sighting in Boston. Unfortunately, Downs went 0-for-4 on the night but fared well at third base — the first time he has played the position at a professional level.
— After a day of travel and rest, the Red Sox will start a three-game series against the Guardians on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and full coverage of the game will be on NESN following an hour of pregame coverage.
