"My bats need to wake up."
It's what Mookie Betts proclaimed to the camera just before taking the field for what would be a 7-5 Red Sox win over the Royals in Kansas City. The Instagram post, constructed in the visitors' clubhouse, showed the Sox outfielder holding up a "Pure Green Wake Me Up Shot" a concoction made up of ginger, lemon and cayenne. It boasts 10 calories, six grams of carbs and now ... one home run. (For a complete recap of the Sox' win, click here.)
It just so happened that the day Betts decided to pour the drink into his bat instead of his mouth the result was a third-inning home run and the reminder that this is the guy who won last year's American League MVP.
A post shared by Mookie Betts (@mookiebetts) on Jun 6, 2019 at 9:42am PDT
Betts' blast was just part of the equation when it came to the Red Sox' punctuation on their three-game sweep.
On the day after the Craig Kimbrel option left the building, the bullpen stepped up to piece together a game which was kicked off by starter Ryan Weber 1 1/3 innings. It wasn't comfortable -- as the Royals' 14 hits and Matt Barnes' one-run ninth-inning suggested -- but ultimately the seven-pitcher effort was enough.
Offensively, Eduardo Nunez came away with three hits and a stolen base, with Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez each knocking in a pair.
But in the big picture, the awakening of Betts' bat should offer the most notable development. For the most part, it has been a season of good but not great for the outfielder, coming into Thursday hitting .270 with a .834 OPS and nine homers. Since being moved back into the leadoff spot permanent at the outset of the road trip, Betts had just two hits in 20 at-bats, drawing four walks.
Compare his numbers thus far to last year and Thursday's reminder should add an additional jolt. Through his first 60 games played in 2018, Betts carried a .338 batting average, 1.113 OPS and twice as many homers (20) as this season has produced.
Mookie blasts one into the bullpen! -- pic.twitter.com/rmH8yVeQI1
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) June 6, 2019
J.D. Martinez was forced to exit in the fifth inning due to back spasms
Related
