The Boston Red Sox began yet another series on the right track, earning a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Friday night.
Boston improved to 11-10 on the campaign, while Milwaukee fell to 14-6.
You can check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox were allergic to clutch hits in 2022, leading to a severe lack of come-from-behind victories on the campaign.
If the early portion of the 2023 season has shown anything, it’s that Boston is no longer incapable of coming up in the big moments.
The Red Sox not only tied the game and took the lead on two-out hits in this one, they were also able to add some insurance when faced with their last out in an inning to completely demoralize the NL Central-leading Brewers.
It started in the sixth inning, when Rob Refsnyder was called on to pinch hit after Kiké Hernández and Triston Casas walked following two quick outs to open the inning. He singled to tie the game, before the very next batter — Jarren Duran — plated the game-winning run on an infield single which he used his speed to reach. Boston added in the seventh, with Justin Turner doing his best Hernández/Casas impression by taking a walk with two outs and scoring on a Masataka Yoshida double.
In all, the Red Sox took three walks, all of which came with two outs, and scored runs on all three. It was an example of taking advantage of opportunities, which is a nice change of pace for Boston.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Josh Winckowski was superb out of the bullpen once again, recording seven outs on the back of Nick Pivetta’s solid start and allowing just one hit. The 24-year-old pushed his ERA to 1.65 on the season.
— Duran has continued his hot streak since being pulled up on April 17, finishing the night 2-for-4 from the plate with the game-winning RBI. He also scored a run.
— Alex Verdugo had another tremendous night at the dish, finishing 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. His batting average sits at .341 through 21 games.
WAGER WATCH
Verdugo’s second home run in as many games came as a surprise to DraftKings Sportsbook, who gave him +650 odds to belt one out entering the night. The two-run shot netted $100 bettors a $750 payout.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will return to NESN on Saturday for the second of a three-game set against the Brewers. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET following an hour of pregame coverage.
