The Boston Red Sox finished off an incredible turnaround in the month of July with a statement win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Left buried in the basement in the American League East Division and wild-card race, they quickly turned things around, going 21-4.
On Saturday night, the Red Sox picked up where they left off in July, taking down the two-time World Series champions, the Dodgers, on the road.
It was another come-from-behind win for interim manager Chad Tracy and his club. They did it on the strength of two Ceddanne Rafaela home runs. Factor in breaking a 2-2 eighth-inning tie with some small ball and delivering the game-winning run on a double play, and everything is coming up perfect for the hottest team in MLB.
After another win against the World Series favorites, Tracy didn’t mince words when it came to Rafaela and his ability to come up clutch again.
Boston Red Sox Interim Manager Chad Tracy Didn’t Mince Words on Ceddanne Rafaela’s Big Night
Rafaela started the scoring with his first of two solo home runs in the top of the first off Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He went deep again in the top of the third to tie the game 2-2. Rafaela, an All-Star this year, was a big reason why Boston has already clinched the series. Rafaela already has three home runs in the series.
“I feel happy to help the team,” Rafaela said, per Courtney Hollomon of MLB.com. “(It’s) good to win the series and then go for the sweep tomorrow. I think right now I do feel good at the plate. I’m making the right decisions on the right pitches, and I think that’s what I need to keep doing to have these results.”
Helping the team is something he has done since the calendar flipped to July. Last month, Boston’s center fielder slashed .303/.321/.523 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. Nine of his 33 hits were doubles, and he scored 17 runs.
“Two big swings from him, obviously, to keep the game where it’s at,” said Tracy, per Hollomon. “He’s been otherworldly right now. … He’s been, I think it’s safe to say, probably the most key contributor to some of these wins.”
Boston Red Sox Can Sweep Dodgers on Sunday Night
Who thought sweeping the Dodgers would have been possible just a month ago? Not many. However, Boston is a Sunday night win away from doing that in California. They are 5-1 on a seven-game road trip. They took three out of four over the Athletics to begin the trip.
The trade deadline is on Monday, and all eyes will be on Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow. He already made one deal last weekend, acquiring infielder Curtis Mead from the Washington Nationals for Connelly Early.
That move looked good at the time, but Mead suffered a broken wrist in his second at-bat with Boston on Monday night. Now, that leaves the Red Sox and Breslow scrambling for another middle infielder. However, given the stretch Boston is on and how winnable the AL is, look for the Red Sox to make a rather big move for the stretch run and the postseason.
Red Sox Interim Manager Drops Honest Quote on All-Star Outfielder After Win Over Dodgers