3 takeaways as Sox win 7th straight game, 9th straight series
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BOSTON – As the Red Sox electrified Fenway Park again on Wednesday night with a 4-0 series-clinching victory over the White Sox, they increased their latest winning streak to seven games and improved to 25-3 since July 3 and 30-5 since June 25.
The stretch is becoming one that Red Sox Nation won’t forget any time soon.
How does a run like that happen?
“I'll answer it the same way,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “Just really, really good baseball, and everybody doing their job, and I mentioned when you get good starts, and in today's case, timely hits and our bullpen was lights out. So when you get that formula and everybody's doing their part, it leads to this.”
There were several key takeaways to the latest triumph for the hottest team in baseball, the 62-51 Sox, who have won their last nine series.
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1. Duran flying all over the place
It has become noteworthy how well Jarren Duran has played of late after what has been a tough season at the plate. Duran is starting to resemble the dynamic player he has been for most of his career, putting his bat on the ball and flying around the bases.
In a 2-for-3 performance, Duran had a double and a single, stole a base that forced a throwing error and scored on a 253-foot sacrifice fly by Andruw Monasterio, which led to an eruption from the crowd of 37,517.
Over his last five games, the left-handed hitter is 8-for-18 with a double and two homers.
“I’ve mentioned a lot how talented I think he is,” said Tracy. “The spurts that Jarren can go on, too, when he is going well and he’s controlling his load, and he looks compact ... he looks very confident right now.”
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2. Abreu belts No. 20 to continue power tear
No Red Sox player hits home runs in bunches like Wilyer Abreu, who mauled a solo shot into the visitors’ bullpen in the third inning on Wednesday to give him four longballs in a span of 11 plate appearances.
By belting his 20th homer, Abreu is just two from the career high he reached last season. What is happening when Abreu is on one of those power tears?
“It's my body [control],” Abreu said. “When I stay stable with my body, with less movement, I can see the ball better. I can recognize all the pitches. So I’m in a good position and that’s the key for me.”
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3. Bullpen does it again
The most underrated aspect of the Red Sox? Their bullpen, which has turned into a lights-out unit. In Wednesday’s win, starter Sonny Gray left with a 2-0 lead. Tyron Guerrero mowed through all three batters he faced in the seventh. Garrett Whitlock lowered his ERA to 1.93 with a scoreless eighth.
And when the Sox scored an insurance run in the eighth on Caleb Durbin's RBI single to make it 4-0, closer Aroldis Chapman was able to get the night off. Lefty Jovani Morán took care of business in the ninth, getting all three of his outs on strikeouts.
During the 25-3 run, Boston’s bullpen has a 12-0 record while leading the Majors in ERA (1.45) and WHIP (0.88).