BOSTON -- The Red Sox were staggering a little as they got home last week, coming off a 2-5 road trip, not to mention seven losses over a nine-game stretch that immediately followed a franchise-record run of 27-3.
As they got ready to board a plane to Miami on Sunday night, you could consider them rejuvenated.
Speaking of rejuvenated, that’s how rookie lefty Jake Bennett felt making his start on nine days' rest and pitching seven innings for the first time since July 8. Bennett (8-6, 3.39 ERA) earned the win, leading the Red Sox past the Giants, 5-4, to complete a three-game sweep.
For Bennett, the rest was purposefully designed to keep him as strong as possible for the final stretch.
“I feel good. Body and arm feel really good,” Bennett said. “Just really trying to keep building off this outing and finish strong.”
When Bennett gave up three runs over the first two innings, you could hear the rest versus rust debate growing.
But rest eventually won out, and Bennett was razor sharp over his final five frames of a performance in which he scattered seven hits and three earned runs while walking one, striking out six and throwing an economical 84 pitches.
“I just felt at the start of the game, my delivery didn't feel super synced up. I felt like I was tripping forward a little bit, and then pulling with my glove side,” Bennett said. “So once I stayed over the rubber a little bit better, I just had a conscious mind of staying closed as long as I could, and I felt like that just helped me fly through the zone, kind of got me back on track.”
It was a get-back-on-track week for the Red Sox. Taking full advantage of the buzz created by six consecutive sellouts at Fenway, Boston (71-59) capped its 5-1 homestand.
Here were some takeaways from the homestand finale:
1. Sogard stays hot
It remains to be seen what the playing time equation will be when shortstop Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa return from their Minor League rehab assignments. But at this point, Boston doesn't want Nick Sogard anywhere but in the everyday lineup.
Again making the start at second base, where he’s played regularly the past couple of weeks, Sogard belted a homer to get the Red Sox on the board in the second, and a double off the Monster that started the game-turning rally in the fourth.
Sogard also ripped a game-tying double to left in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday.
“You can't say enough about it,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “You’re getting power swings on the left side, powerful swings on the right side. You're getting great defense. It's been enormous, the at-bats he's taken.”
2. Wong ties it upon further review
When Connor Wong lofted a fly to left field with two outs in the fourth, the Giants hoped they were out of the inning. Left fielder Victor Bericoto tried to will it into existence, jumping high against the Green Monster as the ball landed in his glove. Bericoto sold it well, running off the field.
The only problem was that the ball caromed slightly off the wall before taking a subtle turn into Bericoto’s glove. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy called for a review, and it was overturned into a game-tying RBI double.
“I could hear it, but you don't really know,” Tracy said. “Did it hit the tin, like through the webbing, you know? But the sound tells you to give it a look. And then [replay coordinator] Mikey [Brenly] was awesome. He pretty quickly returned with, ‘That ball hit the Monster.' So, that was a huge spot, too.”
3. Moving parts at leadoff come through
Per usual, Jahmai Jones was in the lineup against a left-handed pitcher, and he took advantage, leading off the first with a single and ripping a triple that set up a run in the third inning.
With the fourth inning rally in progress, Tracy aggressively went to his bench when the Giants switched pitchers from lefty Matt Wilkinson to righty JT Brubaker, sending Mickey Gasper up to hit for Jones. Gasper stepped in and belted an RBI double to give Boston its first lead of the game.
“He gets a pitch to hit and doesn't miss it,” Tracy said. “So, he's another one that's been huge. Give him his couple ABs, and we switch it out, and then Mickey comes in and does his thing versus a righty, and we got some production out of that leadoff spot today, for sure.”