Jonny Gomes puts White Sox' historic losing skid in perspective
There were a few things to take away from the Red Sox' memorable 7-2 win over the Rangers Sunday afternoon.
For starters, it was important to leave Texas with this victory. With the Royals finding yet another way to win - this time via a two-out, three-run homer from MJ Melendez in the ninth inning - it certainly behooved the Sox to enter into their three-game set in Kansas City trailing by just 2 1/2 games in the Wild Card standings.
Then there was the reminder of the good that Chaim Bloom did. It was the former chief baseball officer who brought in David Hamilton (along with Jackie Bradley Jr. and Alex Binelas) in a deal for Hunter Renfroe. Hamilton once again showed his value to these 2024 Red Sox, collecting two hits, two stolen bases and a home run in the series finale.
Bloom also was the one who identified securing the services of Wilyer Abreu in a trade it took more than a year to appreciate. In the short-term, there was no question that dealing Christian Vazquez to Houston for Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez gutted that clubhouse and put a dent in any early-August postseason hopes the 2022 Red Sox might have had.
Now, however, Abreu is making Bloom look very, very good.
The outfielder is becoming a special player, as was most recently evidenced by his two home-run game Sunday. It gave Abreu 12 home runs for the season, while pushing his OPS to .856 (best among all qualified American League rookies). And another feather in the cap of the lefty hitter this time around was that one of the homers came against left-hander Walter Pennington, marking the first time in his career he has gone deep vs. a southpaw.
Abreu has a ways to go, still owning just 51 at-bats against lefties this season. But between his overall offensive production and well above-average defensive acumen one thing is clear: This is a player who made Alex Verdugo because he is already a better player than Verdugo.
But on this day, it wasn't only about Abreu the player. It was also about Abreu the person.
The 25-year-old is a popular player in the Red Sox' clubhouse. He plays hard while offering a quiet demeanor, offering a kind of wide-eyed vibe until the game starts. It's that that point you forget how relatively young he is thanks to the kind of confidence that has served him well, a trait that has allowed for a .346 batting average and 1.046 OPS with two outs and runners in scoring position.
He is the kind of teammate the Red Sox root for. That was a reality that was on full display during and after the Sox' win.
Abreu's grandmother passed away Saturday, news the native of Venezuela found out about after the Sox' loss in the second game of their series with the Rangers. It was the reason for his emotions after hitting his first homer, and for outpouring of support from the rest of the Red Sox throughout the entire day.
“I was playing for her,” Abreu told reporteres. “I dedicated this game to her and I was playing with my heart in my hands. So for me to be able to go out there and perform, it was very special.”
The performance was one thing. The power of everything that surrounded it was another.
None of it was lost on Red Sox manager Alex Cora or any of the Red Sox players.