Red Sox Notes: Ceddanne Rafaela’s Defensive Impact On Display Vs. Orioles
Rafaela made it look easy in center field
The Boston Red Sox dodged an ugly start to their seven-game homestand, snagging a series finale victory over the Baltimore Orioles to avoid a sweep at Fenway Park on Sunday.
While the biggest storyline of the contest surrounded Boston’s bounce-back effort on the mound after allowing an astounding 24 earned runs through two games to begin the series, that wasn’t all worth watching.
Getting a glimpse, possibly into the future of the Red Sox outfield, rookie Ceddanne Rafaela made a stellar catch in centerfield, assisting Boston starter Brayan Bello. Baltimore’s Anthony Santander belted a deep drive near the 379-foot marker, with a runner on, but wasn’t a match for Rafaela’s speed, athleticism and defensive instincts.
While the 22-year-old received applause from the Fenway Park crowd, Boston manager Alex Cora tamed his praise, unsurprised by Rafaela’s ability to track down balls that other outfielders wouldn’t — setting the bar early.
“When the ball was in the air, if it’s in the stadium, most likely he’ll get it,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I saw it in spring training, I saw it back home in winter ball. It’s easy for him to play the outfield. Obviously, he hasn’t played that much (in) the outfield here, hasn’t played outfield here in Fenway, but just the presence of where he was and the athleticism.”
Cora jokingly added: “It wasn’t epic, it was a great catch.”
At the plate, Rafaela went 0-for-4, but offense wasn’t an issue for the Red Sox.
After beginning the series by striking out 13 times, Boston ended the American League East battle on a strong note. The Red Sox scored 19 runs in their last 18 innings played, totaling eight hits for extra bases in facing the best team the AL has to offer.
MORE RED SOX
Here are more notes from Sunday’s Red Sox-Orioles game:
— Hopping back into the win column, the Red Sox sit six games behind in the AL Wild Card race for the final playoff spot. They have 19 games left scheduled before the regular season concludes.
— Bello pitched five innings, holding the Orioles to three runs off seven hits while striking out four batters. In reaching the finish line with Boston ahead, the right-hander notched a team-leading 12th victory. He’s now recorded a 3.14 ERA through his last five starts (28 2/3 innings).
— Triston Casas kept his red-hot hitting stretch alive, going 1-for-3 at the plate with a three-run home run. The 23-year-old rookie tied former Red Sox Tony Conigliaro (24, 1964) with the most home runs hit by a Boston rookie.
“That was a swing we needed,” Cora explained, per NESN. “To have that breathing room. … It was a good swing.”
— Boston improved to a Major League Baseball-best 57-3 when leading after six innings, marking a .950 winning percentage in said contests.
— The Red Sox continue their homestand, next hosting the New York Yankees for a four-game rival clash. First pitch from Fenway Park on Monday is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, following an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
