The anatomy of baseball brawls
There has been plenty of criticism sent Chaim Bloom's way in recent days. When the team finds itself teetering on the edge of postseason viability just days after the Trade Deadline that shouldn't have been unexpected.
But, in fairness, some time should be spent offering Bloom a pat on the back for the most subtle of moves almost three months ago. That would be the acquisition of Pablo Reyes.
You know, Pablo Reyes. Otherwise known as the player just might have helped save the Red Sox season.
It was Reyes' two-out, walk-off grand slam off a 98.2 mph Carlos Hernandez fastball - rifling off of the left field foul pole - that allowed the Red Sox to claim a 6-2 win over the Royals. And, most importantly, the blast (Reyes first as a Red Sox) kept Alex Cora's team within five games of the Blue Jays in the hunt for the final Wild Card spot.
Since his arrival, Reyes has been much more of the solution than the problem, which says a lot considering the team's need to find up-the-middle reliability.
For a change, the Red Sox finally re-discovered the kind of best-case scenario performances that had put them in solid postseason push position up until recently. And Reyes wasn't the only one resurfacing that vibe.
The optimism that had been drifting further and further away thanks in large part to those three straight losses against the Jays crept back in, even before Reyes' 373-foot home run. That was in large part to the presence of Brayan Bello.
Yes, the Red Sox had an actual starting pitcher thanks to Bello. And he was a good one.
The righty left the game with two outs in the seventh having not given up a run. Bello offered an ace-like-type performance. And when it came to keep the Royals at bay until Reyes could go deep, both Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen lived up to their hype at the most pressing of times, each pitching perfect frames while striking out a combined three hitters.
Another piece of the puzzle that made this Reyes' homer so vital was that it allowed the dream of reinforcements to come a little closer to reality. Watching from the dugout was Trevor Story, who will make his 2023 debut Thursday. Just a few players down the row was Chris Sale, Friday's scheduled starter. And Tanner Houck could also be found on the premises representing another player seemingly not too far off from helping meaningful games.
The question in recent days wasn't whether or not the Red Sox would be getting back new players. The doubts involved the question regarding the importance of their returns.
Thanks to Monday night, it all still matters.