Baby steps.
Nobody is going to confuse the Red Sox' 3-1 win over the Orioles Friday night as a hallmark moment for Alex Cora's club. You beat a bad team in large part to continued good pitching and a much-welcomed glimmer of life courtesy Christian Arroyo's two-run homer.
Unfortunately for the now 9-12 Red Sox, the awkwardness of these first few weeks weren't entirely pushed aside, even with Matt Strahm finally sealing the final out with the tying run at first base in the ninth inning.
But it was sure better than what they left behind in Canada.
For starters, there was that home run, the first hit by a Red Sox player since exactly a week before when Rafael Devers went deep at Tropicana Field. (By the way, during that homer-less stretch, the Yankees were hitting 12 long balls while building what is now a seven-game win streak.)
The image of Arroyo hitting a ball out of the ballpark should have brought back memories as to how the Red Sox functioned early on last season.
While jumping out to their 12-8 start in 2021, Arroyo was a key part of an offense that hit 24 home runs through those first 20 games, scoring 106 runs while managing an .806 OPS. Heading into Friday night in Baltimore, the Sox' bats had accounted for just 11 homers, 72 runs and a .619 OPS.
And a year ago, Arroyo was also one of eight Red Sox hitters with an OPS of .709 better, clocking in at a gaudy .927. Entering the series opener, there only three Sox who claimed OPS' north of .700.
Get the picture?
This time, however, the Red Sox did just enough to not waste another solid batch of pitching. Yes, the top of the order - Trevor Story, Alex Verdugo and Xander Bogaerts - went a combined 0-for-11, and there were only two runners in scoring position the whole night. But, as a reminder, they actually hit a home run.
And, once again, the flotation device keeping their heads above water came in the form of some solid pitching, this time courtesy starter Rich Hill (4 IP, H), Tanner Houck (3 IP, H), and Jake Diekman (a scoreless eighth).
It wasn't overly inspiring, but it was something. And, while they try to figure things out heading into the season's second month, something is sure better than the nothings they had been rolling out.
