Red Sox Notes: Justin Turner Grateful For Fenway Park Ovation

The Boston Red Sox didn’t have anything left to play for so Wednesday night’s home finale was the perfect occasion to give Justin Turner a much-deserved round of applause.

Midway through the top of the sixth inning of Boston’s 5-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Red Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Turner from the game, allowing all in attendance at Fenway Park to give Turner a standing ovation. The 38-year-old, who batted .293 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs at home this season, was thankful for the hospitality.

“Obviously a nice gesture from him and it was nice to take a moment and acknowledge the fans that have treated me so well here,” Turner told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage.

Turner added: “I enjoyed every minute of (being in Boston). Since Day 1, it’s been first class, from all the way from the top all the way down. I’ve enjoyed the guys in this (locker) room and there’s a lot of good players in this room. So I would definitely be happy if I was back here again next year.”

That’s not a guarantee, however.

Turner signed a two-year deal last offseason with the Red Sox, which includes an opt-out option after 2023. Therefore, Turner can test the free agency market in search of a larger contract — even with Boston — and possibly sign elsewhere or opt-in and remain with the Red Sox in 2024.

Cora, whose history with Turner spans back to their brief time as teammates with the New York Mets, wanted to make sure the class-act veteran had his moment, in case it’d be his last with the Red Sox.

“He hasn’t been in this situation in a while so I caught him off guard,” Cora told reporters postgame, per NESN. “… I think he deserved that.”

No Matchup Found

Click here to enter a different Sportradar ID.

Here are more notes from Wednesday night’s Red Sox-Rays game:

— Boston has lost 12 of its last 15 games, officially booked to finish last in the American League East after dropping to 76-82 with just four games left.

— Tyler Glasnow (five innings) and the Rays issued the Red Sox their ninth shutout loss of the season, marking Boston’s most since 2017.

— Brayan Bello, who tossed six innings and allowed five earned runs, threw 100-plus pitches for the ninth time this season. The 24-year-old has lasted six or more innings through eight of his last 12 starts made.

Cora reflected on Bello’s first full season in the big leagues in a positive light.

“Overall, I think it was a good first full season at the big league level,” Cora explained. “It’s not easy. One thing with him, and this is where the game is going is they’re going to load up lefties against him. We’ve got to find ways to attack them. If you look back, it was good overall.”

— Boston is 4-5 this season against Baltimore.

— The Red Sox will face the Baltimore Orioles for their final four games of the season. First pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday is set for 6:35 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.