Boston Red Sox Extra Bases: Mitch Moreland is king of Fenway…for a night
Rafael Devers provided the game-winning hit, but Mitch Moreland won the night as the Boston Red Sox stole a 7-6 victory from the grasp of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Another loss would’ve added to the angst and anxiety surrounding the 2019 Boston Red Sox. Down 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded, Rafael Devers sent the Fenway crowd roaring into the night with a walk-off single that may just be what the team needs to catapult their winning ways.
All the props in the world to Devers, but the real hero of the night was veteran first baseman Mitch Moreland who simply refused to let the Red Sox fall to 3-10 on the young season. Not only did he smash a game-tying homer in the seventh inning, he was right in the middle of the heroics in the ninth.
After Mookie Betts drew a walk with the team down 6-5, Moreland smacked a double off Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles to tie the game. Devers did the rest to complete the comeback.
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But, let’s talk about the new Mr. Clutch
Let’s talk about Mitch Moreland.
From is World Series Game 4 pinch hit homer to his early season heroics that has already prevented the Red Sox from an even worse record, Moreland has delivered game-tying or game-winning hits in three of the team’s four wins this season.
Surprisingly, he is leading the team in home runs and has been the team’s offensive MVP…for now. That is not saying much in a start to the season that has been dismal for the defending World Series champions, but it could be worse. It could be way worse.
In fact, if and when things turn around for the Boston Red Sox, fans will look back at these early season heroics by Moreland as perhaps a season savior.
In doing what it takes to help his team win, Moreland said following the game that the entire team just has to continue to grind it out at the plate to get things rolling.
"“Obviously it hasn’t went quite our way so far this year,” Moreland said, via MLB.com. “But we’ve got a great group of guys; we’ve got a good team. We’re going to get it going. We just have to keep grinding it out and have good at-bats and create opportunities."
On a team that has the reigning American League MVP in Mookie Betts, another MVP-caliber player in J.D. Martinez and a young, rising star like Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox are too talented to not win a lot of games. Often times, a team loaded with talent needs a player like Mitch Moreland to simply piece it all together.
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He has certainly been the anchor that has thus far prevented a sinking ship from turning into baseball’s version of the Titanic. Still early, but where would the Red Sox be without the 2019 version of Mr. Clutch?