Red Sox extra bases: Mitch Moreland has been all that and much more
Where would the Boston Red Sox offense be without the bat of veteran first baseman Mitch Moreland?
He is no David Ortiz, but what Mitch Moreland has given the Boston Red Sox offensively this season has been much more than expected.
The Red Sox slugger continues to deliver in the middle of the batting order. In Saturday night’s 11-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Moreland went 2-for-3 with a pair of run-producing hits. The performance was reminiscent of what he has been able to do all season long.
In fact, with his production, Moreland has forced the Red Sox to find ways to get him more at-bats. The left-handed hitter is batting .281, but his 8 home runs, 35 RBI and 18 doubles has made him one of the team’s top production hitters.
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He has also been consistent in his performance, which could be attributed to how the team has positioned him in the lineup.
Red Sox manager John Farrell attributed Moreland’s success to the team’s ability to keep him fresh especially after he started the season battling that crazy flu that tormented the team.
"“I think we’ve been able to kind of keep him a little bit fresh,” Farrell said following the game, via MassLive. “He dropped 12 or 13 pounds because of the sickness coming out of spring training. I think he’s finally caught up physically.”"
The four spot
Since being moved to the cleanup spot on May 31, Mitch Moreland has hit .321 with two doubles and two home runs. Again, not quite the intimidation at the plate Big Papi put in opposing pitching, but production that certainly helps an offense beginning to find its stride.
Related Story: Boston Red Sox Extra Bases: Mitch Moreland Hitting His Stride
In fact, if Hanley Ramirez starts to smack the ball around like he did in the second half of last season, Moreland’s role could become even more valuable. Both players would provide stability in the middle of the lineup. They also give the Red Sox at least some of the veteran leadership Ortiz left behind.
Mitch Moreland more so because of his lead by example approach, both on the field and at the plate.
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So, even if Moreland fizzles a bit as the season goes on, he has given the Boston Red Sox more than expected. Hopefully, some of the veteran leadership displayed will trickle down to the young core of rising stars.