An X-clamation point
Sox win on Bogey’s slam
Xander Bogaerts will not be heading to Washington with five of his teammates later tonight for the All-Star Game.
His numbers are not as good as a couple of other shortstops in the American League, including Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor and Baltimore’s Manny Machado.
But Bogaerts played like an AllStar, MVP, rock star and living legend all rolled into one yesterday with a 10th-inning walkoff grand slam at Fenway Park. The decidedly clutch moment lifted the surging 67-30 Red Sox to not only another victory but also brought into sharper focus the season being produced by the 25-year-old Bogaerts.
In what is shaping up as a special season for the Red Sox, Bogaerts is having his best season yet.
The 6-2 victory over the Blue Jays means far more than being voted to an exhibition team.
“I think a lot of us need to reset our bodies, get some rest, the veteran guys especially,” said Bogaerts about the break that begins after today’s game against the Blue Jays. “Just your veteran guys, the pitchers — some off days would be huge and come back and have the same fun with each other.”
Bogaerts’ .884 OPS, 15 home runs, 62 RBI and 26 doubles are obscured in the impressive shadows of teammates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. But more performances like yesterday’s will raise Bogaerts’ profile in the second half when the stakes increase for the Sox.
“The quality of the at-bats are great. I love the fact that he’s actually trying to do damage, which is great,” said manager Alex Cora.
Bogaerts takes a team-first approach instead of putting value on star status.
“We have so many good hitters in the lineup, guys hitting behind me, guys hitting in front of me, pitchers obviously are going to be more careful with some guys — try to get me some good pitches to hit,” said Bogaerts. “I think I’ve been more aggressive in some counts. I still feel I take so many pitches sometimes, I guess that’s just who I am. But in certain counts I’ve been doing more damage.”
He came to the plate in the 10th inning, just after Toronto reliever Chris Rowley had intentionally walked Martinez to load the bases. Betts reached on an error before Brock Holt singled in the 10th. There was one out, and when the count moved into Bogaerts’ wheelhouse, he took advantage and damaged the offering, launching it a few feet from the base of the flagpole in left-center field.
“The first two pitches were real in, probably (Rowley was) trying to get me to be aggressive and ground into a double play but I was patient and he left one up there,” said Bogaerts. “I hit it real good but I didn’t expect it to go out. But I knew I did hit it good, so I knew it was at least a sac fly and we would have won.”
The victory brought the Red Sox back in winning territory after a one-game hiatus, which had served to end a 10-game winning streak. Along the way, the Sox had created breathing room on the Yankees in the AL East. The victory came two days after Betts had hit a gamewinning grand slam against the Blue Jays in the series opener.
After zero grand slams last season, the Red Sox have nine this year. Three are off the bat of Bogaerts.
“I guess the ball is just going over the wall,” said Bogaerts. “We’ve been having a pretty special season as a team, maybe that has a lot to do with it.”
The victory was marred by a sprained right ankle sustained by starter Eduardo Rodriguez in a collision with a baserunner at first base with one out in the sixth inning.
Rodriguez was pitching very efficiently when the injury occurred, holding the Blue Jays scoreless and to just four hits, all singles, with no walks and five strikeouts. And he was at only 67 pitches.
“Today was probably his best one — throwing strikes, great tempo, pitching to contact and then that happens,” said Cora.
Martinez hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. The Blue Jays scored two times in the seventh. The Red Sox tied the game in the ninth as Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled in Bogaerts, who had led off with a double.