The Boston Red Sox rode the wave of another productive day with the bats with a 6-3 win over the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park on Saturday.
Boston benefited Friday night when Ceddanne Rafaela lifted two home runs to drive the offense. Saturday marked Enmanuel Valdez's turn to take center stage.
The left-handed bat recorded his first-career multi-homer game in the big leagues, rewarding the Red Sox for bringing him back to Boston from Triple-A Worcester earlier in the week.
"I feel very happy to be able to help the team win," Valdez told Jahmai Webster through translator Carlos Villoria on NESN's postgame coverage. "I know that Rafaela did it last night. … I hope they keep coming. It doesn't matter where they go.
Alex Cora has long raved about Valdez's swing decisions and ability to control the at-bat, along with Wilyer Abreu with both players coming over from the Houston Astros in a 2022 trade.
"He's a good player," Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "He put good at-bats. When we sent him down, he didn't do anything wrong. He played well. … He manages the at-bat, just like Willy. He worked on a few things down there as far as timing and staying closed. … We like the at-bat. This guy can hit."
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Valdez added a double off the Green Monster with all three of his hits going for extra bases. With the Red Sox back in need of infield depth, Valdez should gain more opportunities to build on an impact day on Saturday.
Here are more notes from Saturday's Tigers-Red Sox game:
-- Boston second baseman Vaughn Grissom exited Saturday's contest after just one at-bat. The team announced the injury as a right hamstring strain and Alex Cora shared postgame that Grissom will likely head to the injured list.
-- Valdez tallied the first multi-homer game of his MLB career.
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-- Ceddanne Rafaela made a highlight-reel diving catch to set up an inning-ending double play.
"He's elite," Cora said. "He's a game-changer. There's a reason he made the team. It wasn't the offense. It was his defense. That's something we were lacking last year. This year, it's different."
-- After going 2-for-28 over his last seven games, Jarren Duran recorded a multi-hit game and scored a run on Saturday for the Red Sox.
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-- Cooper Criswell allowed one run or less for the fourth time in nine starts this season.
"Solid," Cora said of the start. "He changed the script halfway through the game. Threw more fastballs. Did a good job getting ahead and staying ahead. That's what he's gonna do. He's gonna battle with everything he has. He's gonna move the ball around."
-- The Red Sox improved to 32-9 all-time in their yellow "City Connect" uniforms.
-- The Red Sox and Tigers close out the series at Fenway Park on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
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Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
