In a dominant 18-7 win and series sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Red Sox offense wasn't the only one making headlines after the teams' fifth straight victory on Sunday night.
Boston's starting pitcher in the nightcap, Hunter Dobbins, was promoted to the major league roster from Triple-A Worcester on Sunday morning, making his MLB debut under the bright lights of Fenway.
Dobbins was an eighth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Red Sox, after playing his college ball at Texas Tech. He has spent the past four years playing in the Red Sox minor league system, spending time at all four levels, from Single-A to Triple-A.
With the Red Sox being handicapped at the end of their starting rotation, Dobbins got the call on short notice, as his parents made the trip to Fenway to watch their son make his MLB debut.
Hunter made sure to let his father know about his promotion on the phone yesterday morning, as ESPN's Buster Olney talked with Dobbins' parents during Sunday night's game.
"It was so surreal, it's still surreal. It's just one of those moments I can't put into words."Lance Dobbins, Hunter's Father
In what was a memorable night for Hunter and the Dobbins family, the 25-year-old pitched well for Boston, as he did his part while the offense had their best performance of the young season.
Dobbins allowed eight hits on only two earned runs while striking out five Cardinals batters in five innings of work. He threw 93 pitches and earned the win for the Red Sox.
To make the moment even cooler for Dobbins, he was born in Bryan, TX, and was an Astros fan growing up. Playing alongside Alex Bregman meant the world to Dobbins, as he got to share the diamond with one of his childhood idols.
A very special night for Hunter Dobbins. pic.twitter.com/2KO2s6TUI9
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 7, 2025
Dobbins didn't show any nerves during his debut, as he ultimately limited the Cardinals offense when they had runners on base. Allowing only two runs on eight hits speaks to Dobbins's ability to get out of a jam consistently, and also the improved Red Sox defense behind him.
Getting performances like these from the back end of the rotation with Bello, Crawford, and Giolito still on the shelf is a great sign for Boston. It's also a great sign that the Red Sox offense scored 36 runs in the three-game series against the Cardinals.
After starting the season 1-4, Boston has won five straight games as Rafael Devers has woken up and Alex Bregman loves hitting in Fenway Park.
Even without their full rotation to begin the year, the Red Sox have proved they can win games in different ways, whether it's a dominant start from Garrett Crochet or an offensive onslaught like Sunday night's win.
The Red Sox are back to it on Monday, starting a four-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays amidst the recent Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract news. The Fenway Faithful will get their first look at Garrett Crochet during the series, as he is set to start Tuesday's game.