They have had their moments.
This 2-1 win over the Rays, after all, was the seventh time the Red Sox won when trailing after the seventh inning. It also marked their 40th come-from-behind victory.
But this felt different. It felt more important than any of the others.
First, there was the home run. Just when it felt there was no possible way the Sox would be able to make up the run scored by Tampa Bay in the eighth inning - with the visitors carting out one reliever after another throwing high 90's gas - along came Hunter Renfroe.
The two-out, two-run blast offered the biggest September sigh of relief to date.
Considered a platoon player no longer, Renfroe has evolved into a legitimate offensive weapon at just the right time, hitting .383 with a 1.153 OPS and four homers in his last 11 games. And just to help push the everyday player narrative along, al four of the home runs have come against right-handers.
“I never labeled myself as a platoon player," Renfroe said after hitting his 415-foot, 107.5 mph blast over everything in left field. "It was kind of given to me because I hit lefties so well and struggled a little bit against righties for a short period of time. And obviously, with the Rays, they did a lot of platooning. Matchup-type advantage count stuff and I think that’s kind of where people saw me more as a platoon player just because of the way they used me there. That’s how they play ball. They’ve always done that. I knew myself as an everyday player and I wanted to prove myself as an everyday player and coming in, Chaim (Bloom) and AC (Alex Cora) always said, 'Hey, your job is going to be in right field, I want to throw you out there and keep you out there and you’re going to be our guy.'”
Then there was the throw.
Two outs. Ninth inning. Red Sox clinging to one-run lead. Joey Wendle lines a ball that centerfielder Danny Santana lets trickle behind him. Renfroe sprints over and heaves the toss of the year to a waiting Bobby Dalbec at third base. Game over.
“Just trying to back Danny up there," Renfroe said. "I don’t know if he got the best jump, I couldn’t really tell if it was hit off the barrel or off the end and he made a good jump at it and just didn’t quite come up with it and I was able to run it down. It kind of went further than I thought it was going to go, as far as like rolling past him but I was able to pick it up and saw Joey kind of running around second base and I knew if I made a good, strong throw and it was accurate, I had a chance to get him. I released the ball and saw it was kind of going on target and I had to beat him. I happened to beat him, and I think Bobby put an incredible tag on him, incredible tag, got him out and helped us win the game.”
The numbers for Renfroe are eye-popping.
- His two outfield assists Wednesday night were his MLB-leading 15th and 16th of the season.
- Each of Renfroe's 16 outfield assists this season have come while playing right field. In the Expansion Era (since 1961), that is the most assists by a Red Sox player from right field in a single season (source: Elias). Dwight Evans previously had the most, recording 15 assists from right field in 1975, '76, and '79.
- Is the sixth Red Sox player to hit 25 or more HR and record 15 or more OF assists in the same season. The others are Jason Bay (2009), Manny Ramirez (2005), Jim Rice (1983), Carl Yastrzemski (1969, '77), and Ted Williams (1942).
- Twenty-seven of his 43 hits since July 19 have been extra-base hits (13 2B, 14 HR). Beginning Aug. 1, Renfroeis batting .302 with a 1.036 OPS (35-for-116, 25 R, 9 2B, 12 HR, 29 RBI, 8 BB).
We get it. This contract Bloom signed Renfroe to - paying him $3.1 million this season with two more years of arbitration-eligibility - is perhaps the best free-agent deal of the season. But, for now, what is important to these Red Sox is Renfroe's most recent delivery.
The Red Sox are now back in the top Wild Card spot, 1/2 game over the Yankees and two games up over the Blue Jays. And they also were reminded that Tampa Bay isn't unbeatable.
Let's just say it was a really important couple of half innings for the Red Sox.
“We’ve been talking about it. You keep talking about plays, and hopefully, we learn from our mistakes and get better," Cora said. "You see Hunter getting there and made an outstanding throw, and the tag by Bobby. It was a huge play. I mean, big swing, big throw. What he’s done for us this season, it’s been amazing. It was fun to watch.”