Boston Red Sox: The night Alex Verdugo saved the 2021 season

The worst-case scenario almost played out for the Boston Red Sox in Saturday’s double header against the hot Toronto Blue Jays.

After losing the first game in walk-off fashion, Alex Cora’s squad was headed towards back-to-back losses in the twin bill until Alex Verdugo stepped up in the sixth inning and breathed some life into a Red Sox team that has been reeling since really the MLB All-Star break.

With the Red Sox trailing 1-0, Verdugo tied the game with a 410-foot blast to center field into the seats of Rogers Centre.  At that point anything could’ve still happened in the game, but for the moment, it was the spark the offense needed and really symbolized that resiliency the team has been exhibiting all season long.

Boston Red Sox down, but certainly not out

Just barely holding on to a Wild Card spot, Verdugo’s blast may have kept the Red Sox afloat.  At the very least, it temporary halted the emerging Blue Jays.

"“Anything can really change momentum,” Verdugo said following the game, via MLB.com.  “It’s a matter of how my teammates are reacting in the dugout – if they’re loud, if you’re vocal, people making good defensive plays.  Momentum can come and go at any point.”"

Perhaps Red Sox fans will look back at this game and Verdugo’s moment as the saving grace of the season.  At least, we hope so.  In tying the game, Verdugo put his team in position to not only make the outstanding pitching performance of Tanner Houck worth it, but it set up Jonathan Arauz to be the hero of the game with his clutch go-ahead RBI in the eighth inning to give the Red Sox a 2-1 victory.

Boston Red Sox strike zone: Tanner Houck should be in the lineup to stay

Besides the fifth inning meltdown by Nathan Eovaldi in the first game of the series, pitching really hasn’t been the problem for the Boston Red Sox against the potent Blue Jays offense.

After Nick Pivetta pitched his heart out in the first game, Tanner Houck took the mount in game 2 in a must-win situation, and he really came through.

Houck pitched just 3 2/3 innings, but they were strong innings in which he really shut down the Blue Jays offense and kept his team in the game early.  With how the Red Sox offense has been struggling to score runs and with how the team lost the first game, any onslaught of offense by the Jays would’ve further damaged this team.

So, let’s give props to the 25-year-old Houck as one the heros of the game 2 victory.

"“He was good.  He was really good.  That’s a tough lineup,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said following the game.  “He’s special, man.  He seems like he’s under control, he doesn’t show emotion…he’s going to help us for the rest of the season.”"

That is music to the ears of every Red Sox fans across the nation.  With Chris Sale on a fast and strong trajectory to return very soon, Houck is really showing he can be another pitcher who can help reinforce the starting rotation.

With Martin Perez demoted to the bullpen and Garrett Richards another bad start from the same demotion, Tanner Houck should be in the lineup to stay the rest of the season, especially if he continues to show the type of control he showed on Sunday.

Boston Red Sox manager minute: Alex Cora has some pitching decisions to make

Despite losing Game 1 of the double header, the Red Sox really shut down the Blue Jays and were a clutch hit or two away from sweeping both games.

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Following Nick Pivetta’s outstanding performance and Houck’s blazing start, the Red Sox starters combined for 9 2/3 of solid pitching.  As much as Verdugo’s clutch homer may have saved the season, the combined pitching performance may be the real turning point with Sale on his way back.

If this team can get Eduardo Rodriguez back to form and Nathan Eovaldi back to pitching like an All-Star, suddenly the rotation could be a real strength with Pivetta and Houck holding down the No. 4 and No. 5 spots.

Tough decisions ahead for Alex Cora but given what the Red Sox front office didn’t do at the MLB Trade Deadline, its actually a good position to be in with the team’s ace blazing his way through his rehab stints.

"“We pitched well the whole day, so that’s a positive for us,” Cora said postgame.  “What Nick did in the first game, and when what Tanner and the rest of the crew did in the second one, that’s good.  Tomorrow [Sunday] we got Garrett [Richards] and hopefully we can continue doing that.  That’s a good start of what we’re trying to accomplish, getting better pitching-wise.”"

In fact, if Richards can find a way to be competitive on the mound like he has been during stretches of the season, Cora and the Red Sox will be in real good shape.  But, also giving how badly Richards has pitched during stretches of the season, the best bets are really Sale and Houck stabilizing the rotation.

Of course, none of it will matter if the offense can’t put runs on the board.  But maybe that turned around on a 2-2 curveball belted into the center field seats off the bat of Mr. Verdugo.

Sometimes it just takes that one moment to save a season.