Betts closes MVP case
Becomes 1st 30-30 player to win MLB batting title
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Mookie Betts ran out to right field to warm up for the third inning against the Yankees yesterday afternoon, but it was just a set-up.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora then sent out Tzu-Wei Lin to replace Betts, who jogged back to the dugout while the Fenway Park crowd applauded one of the finest seasons in recent club history.
Betts was 1-for-2 in the Sox’ 10-2 win yesterday and finishes the season with a .346 average, far and away the best in the major leagues. He is the first Red Sox player to lead the majors in average since Wade Boggs hit .366 in 1988.
Betts is the first Sox player to win the American League batting title since Bill Mueller in 2003.
“Just means that I did something good,” Betts said. “I put in a lot of work to get where I’ve gotten. Just have to continue to work to stay where I’m at and be the best player I can be.”
He finished the season with 129 runs, 47 doubles, five triples, 32 homers, 80 RBI and 30 stolen bases in just 136 games.
And he’s the first 30-30 player ever to win a batting title, making him the favorite to win the MVP over Mike Trout. Voters have to submit their ballots between the end of today’s games and the beginning of the wild card game on Wednesday.
If he wins, it’ll be “another accomplishment that’s special,” Betts said. “If the time comes and I’m able to win it, cool. If not, no worries, I’m worried about the World Series right now.”
Before yesterday’s game, Cora was asked if Betts is the best player in baseball.
“I do believe so because of what he does defensively,” Cora said. “I think that’s a game changer. We know what he can do on the basepaths. Obviously his power now, he’s getting on base at a high rate. He’s one of the best defenders in the league. You put the whole package and I know what Mike (Trout) is doing in L.A., and nothing against him, but this guy defensively, that’s the separator.”
Betts improved his average from .264 to .346 in one year, a sign that the soon-to-be 26-yearold is far from done improving.
“That comes from a lot of work, to put in that work to try to stay where I’m at,” said Betts, whose birthday is Oct. 7.
Next step
The next time the Red Sox are seen at Fenway Park, it’ll be in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the winner of the wild card game between the Yankees and Oakland A’s on Wednesday night in New York.
The Sox finished with a franchise record 108 wins and an eightgame lead over the Yankees in the AL East. If they don’t win the World Series, will it be a failure?
The World Series “means everything,” Betts said. “That’s why we play the game. But if we don’t, that doesn’t mean it’s a failure. We still set a record and it’ll be a great team. It’s tough, nobody said it was going to be easy. We know that, that it’s going to take some work. These 108 wins mean absolutely nothing going into the playoffs. We know that, just taking it one game at a time.”
Arms lined up
Cora announced his playoff rotation for the ALDS. Chris Sale will start Game 1, David Price Game 2 and Rick Porcello in Game 3. Either Eduardo Rodriguez or Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 4, if needed, depending on the opponent.
After Cora challenged Rodriguez to be better than he was out of relief on Saturday, Rodriguez struck out two batters in a perfect inning of work yesterday, his fourth relief outing in seven days.
“That was good,” Cora said. “The velocity was good. He threw a changeup to Brett Gardner, good pitch there. Backdoor cutter to strike Aaron Judge out up in the zone that was a lot better than last night. I talked to him last night. You’ve got one inning tomorrow. We have to pitch with conviction, there’s a purpose. And he did.”
One more blast
J.D. Martinez slugged his 43rd homer of the year, a three-run shot in the fourth inning, to pass Dick Stuart for most home runs in a player’s first season with the Sox.
He finished with a .330 average and 130 RBI. The only other Red Sox players to hit at least .330 with at least 40 homers and 130 RBI are Ted Williams in 1949 and Jimmie Foxx in 1936 and 1938. The last big leaguer to do that was Miguel Cabrera in 2013.
Martinez hit .303 with 45 homers and 104 RBI last year, but considers this year the best of his major league career.
“I guess you could say that statistically, from RBI and stuff like that,” he said. “I hit more home runs last year. I feel like it’s definitely, yeah, probably. It’s either this year or last year.” . . .
Craig Kimbrel fired a scoreless ninth. He was never used for more than three outs down the stretch and Cora wouldn’t say if Kimbrel would be used traditionally or for extra outs in the playoffs. . . .
Brock Holt stayed hot by going 2-for-4. He now has an 11-game hitting streak, and is hitting .415 in his last 14 games.