Game 1: Red Sox 8, Twins 1
So the misnomer I’m going to put on this game commentary is for the people who will say “Where have THESE Red Sox been all summer?” The real question honestly feels like it should be “What would this season have looked like with a fully healthy Triston Casas?” Inarguably his game of the season, and how.
Key Moments
T1: Cora’s Clash
I have NEVER seen Alex Cora so hot. Rocco Baldelli appeals to the umpires for a fielder’s interference call at second base on Vaughn Grissom, he gets the call and Cora has STEAM coming out of his ears. I thought this was going to end up being another Lloyd McClendon with Cora walking off the field with the bag. He was absolutely on fire, enough to where the crew chief Alan Porter had to get in between Alex and second base umpire Dan Merzel. Instead of this being ominous, maybe this lit the fire.
B1: Casas’ First
The first licks came from Triston Casas, who demolished this to right field. 400 feet flat and an early cushion for Nick Pivetta. Not too often lately has it helped in the end, but it was a great start.
B3: Casas’ Oppo-Taco
Next at bat, this one had just enough power to get into the second row of the Monster seats. Honestly just a flick from Triston and this one stayed fair down the left-field line.
T5: Pivetta’s Solid Outing
OK Nicky, not too bad. His off-speed seemed more on point than his fastball today but he got through just enough to where the bullpen isn’t going to be extremely taxed going into Game 2.
B5: Three of a Kind
Now THIS was a monster mash. 423 feet to center field, Casas has to feel so good.
Studs
Triston Casas (3-for-4, 3 HRs, 7 RBI)
The last time anyone had a three-homer day for the Sox? Trevor Story, May 18th 2022 vs Seattle. Right, left and center, he showcased every part of the field with his power. He made another awesome snag at first as well!
Nick Pivetta (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
While Pivetta has one more outing in him this season most likely, this is a nice one as 2024 winds down. Not even his fault a run was scored, he got out of every jam otherwise, despite looking like he was fighting it a little bit. If this is the end of Pivetta’s tenure in Boston, it won’t be too bitter.
Romy Gonzalez (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run scored)
Even though he committed the fielding error that led to Minnesota’s only run, Romy had an RBI single up the middle and held his own enough to keep the Red Sox victorious.
Duds
…no one?
Sure Rafaela went 0-for-4 with a K, but if I’m really quibbling, no one had a glaringly bad day. Most of everyone contributed or got a hit in some way, shape or form. Even the two errors didn’t bite them too badly, despite the lone run being unearned.
Play of the Game
I’m going to share this between Cora’s ejection and Casas’ third home run. The ejection is going to be amazing Netflix material, but Casas’ dinger was a sheer thing of beauty.
Game 2: Red Sox 9, Twins 3
After a dominant game from start to finish in Boston’s 8-1 win in the first of today’s twin bill, things got off to a slow start for the Red Sox in game two. But thanks to a solid 7.2 inning start from Kutter Crawford who struck out seven batters and was able to bounce back from early runs to shut down the Twins’ offense. And as Romy Gonzalez took inspiration from Triston Casas’ seven RBI performance in game one, the Sox were able to rather easily sweep the doubleheader with a 9-3 win, even after a scare in the top of the seventh.
Key Moments
With each team only collecting one hit apiece through the first four innings, the night game was off to a lot slower start than Boston’s win in the afternoon.
T5: Twins grab a pair
After a solid line through four innings (H, 3 K), Crawford got two quick outs to start the fifth before Minnesota got four singles in a row to drive in the first two runs of the game.
B5: Boston strikes back
Fortunately, the Red Sox struck back as they replicated Minnesota’s scoring strategy. Following two outs, Ceddanne Rafaela struck a double to center field for his first hit of the day, which forced a pitching change and brought up the top of the order. A Duran walk kept the line moving for Gonzalez, who was clearly encouraged by Casas’ two three-run homers from the afternoon game, as he hit his sixth home run of the year with a 450-foot three-run shot to center field.
Crawford bounced back well in the sixth with a one-two-three-inning for which his offense immediately paid him back.
B6: The line keeps moving
Nick Sogard’s one-out double gave Boston its third extra-base hit in less than an inning, as Wilyer Abreu wore one to put runners on first and second, forcing a pitching change. An Enmanuel Valdez single loaded the bases with only one to give Rafaela a chance to drive in his first run of the day, which he took advantage of by getting hit, by a new pitcher, to give the Sox a 4-2 lead. Duran’s Fenway double drove in two more runs before Gonzalez grabbed his fourth RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly for the second out of the inning. But Boston kept its trend of scoring with two outs alive, as Masataka Yoshida, singled, drove in a run, stole second, and scored on a Connor Wong single to give the Sox a 9-2 lead heading into the seventh.
T8: All good things must come to an end
In what may have been, arguably, Crawford’s best start of the second half of the season, Cora felt more than comfortable leaving him out there for an eighth inning with his pitch count only at 86. After a quick strikeout of Byron Buxton, Crawford’s stuff lost steam and he allowed three singles sandwiched around a second out to load the bases in the eighth. Cora would call on Josh Winckowski with Crawford at 101 pitches. Winckowski made things a little scary, walking the first batter he faced to force in a run and make it 9-3. Luckily, he was able to lock in against Carlos Santana and get the third out of the inning to prevent any further damage.
T9: Two’s company
After being able to (relatively) lock things down and clean it up after entering in the eighth inning, Wickowski went out there for another inning to help a Red Sox bullpen that had to cover four innings earlier in the day. And that was all it would take, as a clean inning by Winckowski, including a ground out by old friend Christian Vazquez, sealed a Boston sweep of Sunday’s doubleheader.
Studs
Romy Gonzalez (1-4, HR, 4 RBI, R)
Gonzalez held things down for a Red Sox team that has looked dead in the water offensively over the past month. Two six-run victories in a time where a win probably doesn’t mean much is honestly kind of brutal to watch, but I can’t complain much when I actually enjoy watching a baseball team.
Kutter Crawford (7.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 7 K)
Crawford balled out even with the loading of the bases in the seventh inning. As with Gonzalez, it’s probably too little two late, but it’s great to see him gain some confidence back at the end of this season after the middle part got a little rough for the All-Star.
Jarren Duran (1-4, 2 RBI, R, BB)
After looking pretty lost at the plate over the past week (as the majority of Boston’s offense has), this was a nice game for Duran with a two-run double and two trips on base.
Duds
I am sufficiently satisfied with today’s doubleheader sweep (and a Bronco’s win), so I don’t think I can name a dud from this game in my right mind. After the absolute DUD of a game on Friday, that pretty much shattered any hopes and dreams that I had for the remainder of the season, this Sunday was a fun change of pace from what we’ve had to watch over the past month. But man, I really wish this version of Red Sox offense would’ve shown itself just a little bit earlier. But hey, at least the Royals’ losing streak continued today!
Play of the Game
Just looking at Romy Gonzalez, it’s hard to believe that he has 450-foot power, but his three-run homer was longer than any of the three that Casas hit in the first game of the day and is just a beauty to watch.