The Red Sox respected the moment.
Thanks to a three-run seventh inning, Alex Cora’s club put a positive punctuation on its annual Patriots Day game, beating the Tigers, 8-6, at Fenway Park. It wasn’t perfect, and didn’t completely erase the lingering concerns, but it was a step forward on a Marathon Monday where simply moving forward is everything.
The pivotal frame started with a Masa Yoshida leadoff single, followed by Trevor Story’s walk. After a third-strike bunt attempt from pinch-hitter Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Caleb Durbin loaded the bases with an infield single. It set the stage for the biggest hit of the game, courtesy of another pinch-hitter, Ceddanne Rafaela.
"I think before it was more that I’m chasing before two strikes and getting to two strikes, now because before -- I always have the confidence with two strikes and I can put the ball in play and I think it’s just the time," said Rafaela, who is now 4-for-14 this season when finishing off an at-bat facing an 0-2 count. "I think with a little more experience. I think it’s that."
Rafaela rifled a 0-2 pitch from lefty Tyler Holton down the first base line, scoring a pair and giving the Red Sox the lead for good. For good measure, Carlos Narvaez followed with an RBI single for some more separation.
When it was all said and done, the Red Sox came away with 12 hits and eight walks, with six of the free passes coming from Detroit starter Jack Flaherty.
Another key moment for the struggling Red Sox offense came in the sixth inning. After launching a one-out double, Carlos Narvaez highlighted a day of Small Ball from the Red Sox with a steal of third. It drew the Tigers’ infield in and ultimately allowed Roman Anthony’s soft liner up the middle to get through, tying the game at 3-3.
Anthony reached base a season-high-tying four times, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Going back to April 13, the outfielder has reached base in 16 of his last 31 plate appearances.
"I mean, we feel it when we're playing defense, when teams are doing that, like Milwaukee, they wait till the later part of the game to put pressure on you. We got athletes. We do," Cora said of the Red Sox aggressiveness, which included three stolen bases. "We just have to have the lead.”
Adding to the satisfaction of the win was that the Red Sox managed it despite starter Sonny Gray having to exit with right hamstring tightness with two outs in the third inning. Cora was forced to piece together the rest of the game using six relievers, who would surrender just one prior to what would be a three-run ninth inning for the Tigers.
"I’m not concerned it’s a long-term thing," said Gray of the hamstring issue, which he also dealt with in 2022 and 2024. "I guess, yes, having familiarity with it is a good thing. At the same time it’s kind of a like a crap thing to because you have familiarity with the same thing, right? It doesn’t as bad as it has other times where I have missed time. I will say that. That’s a good thing. I have had a feeling before and I threw another hitter and try to go and it was a worse thing. So, yeah, in this moment I can honestly say it doesn’t feel like it’s a horrible thing. But it is just something that is going to take however it’s going to take to get right. I don’t have that information yet."
