NEW YORK – Jake Bennett bought the Red Sox more time to snap out of their recent offensive rut by unleashing a masterful performance in Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
The rookie lefty regained the groove he had during a sparkling nine-start run from June 17-Aug. 2 and made some of his more recent struggles look like a distant memory, firing six scoreless innings in which he allowed three hits while walking none and striking out seven in Boston’s 6-0 victory.
“I just felt like I was getting back to my strengths, getting the four-seam up with my misses up and away, the changeup below the zone, sinker just to keep them off the two-seamer and [mixed in] spin when we needed it,” said Bennett, who improved to 9-6 and lowered his ERA to 3.27.
Bennett flooded the zone, throwing 59 of his 83 pitches for strikes. He generated 14 whiffs in 46 swings by the Yankees. It was Bennett’s second dominant effort against the Bronx Bombers this season, as he allowed three hits and one run over 6 1/3 innings on June 27.
“He was the Bennett we're used to seeing,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “Just attacked the zone. Got early-count outs. Felt like he even got stronger as he went along. It was a really, really good outing.”
This was an important win for the Red Sox, who can take the season series from the Yankees (and a tiebreaker for home-field advantage in a potential American League Wild Card Series rematch of last year) by taking one of the final two games of this four-game set between the rivals.
Here were some key takeaways.
Offense, slowly but surely, bounces back
The Sox had been shut out in their previous two games, including a tough 1-0 defeat on Friday night in the Bronx.
Wilyer Abreu got them in the scoring column with one sweet swing in the first, belting a two-out solo shot to right that gave him career highs in homers (23) and RBIs (70).
Bennett departed with a 2-0 lead. The big event was the top of the ninth, when the Sox busted it open with a four-run frame that allowed Tracy to save closer Aroldis Chapman for the nightcap.
The key hits were delivered by Andruw Monasterio (two-run single), Nick Sogard (RBI double) and Ceddanne Rafaela (RBI single).
“Really good,” said Sogard. “[Caleb] Durbin [with a leadoff walk] was a great at-bat to get it going. Monasterio, huge hit, and then able to kind of tack on a couple more. That's big just for momentum for us to score more than zero. Hopefully, take it into this next game tonight.”
Sogard relay fixes misplay by Rafaela
One thing you rarely see is Rafaela getting twisted around on a fly ball to center. A brilliant defender, Rafaela, perhaps impacted by the wind, allowed a double to Heliot Ramos in the bottom of the fourth. However, Rafaela fired to cutoff man Sogard, who threw a bullet to the plate, where Adley Rutschman tagged out Amed Rosario.
The key to executing a play like that?
“Kind of just continuing to keep my head on the ball and on the runner and just understanding kind of where he's at, and then realizing that he's gonna go, and then just being in line and ripping it from there,” said Sogard.
Rutschman breaks out
Rutschman has had a tough time sustaining offensive momentum in his first few weeks with the Red Sox. And that made Saturday’s 3-for-4 performance with two runs sweeter.
The highlight was a nine-pitch at-bat in the fifth that finished with Rutschman belting a single to right against Yankees starter Carlos Rodón, leading to a run.
Did that hit feel better because it came after a long at-bat?
“Hits feel good, man. Hits feel good,” Rutschman said. “But I think just the fact that you're holding focus for an extended period of time and not getting tired and just kind of giving in is definitely something to be proud of.”
Entering Saturday, Rutschman had one hit in his previous 19 at-bats.
“I talked a lot about the hitting process, and just trying to swing at pitches over the middle of the zone, make quality contact on a line to all parts of the field,” Rutschman said. “If I'm doing that, then I give myself a good chance to do that and hit some balls at good angles today, and I was able to hit a couple line drives. So just keep trying to do that and make small adjustments when you can.”