Red Sox reactions: Slugger’s 25th homer part of 16-hit attack in win over D-backs

BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 11-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Fenway Park on Monday:

1. The Red Sox (67-58) needed a win to begin their six-game homestand after a tough 2-5 road trip through Toronto and Pittsburgh. Boston is now 30-31 at Fenway Park and 19-18 against the National League. The Sox recorded 16 hits, including seven doubles and two home runs. They didn’t strike out at all.

2.The acquisition of outfielder Eli White at the Aug. 3 trade deadline got overshadowed by the other two trades the Red Sox made that day. But White has been an impactful addition.

He started over Jarren Duran in left field with Boston facing left-handed starter Mitch Bratt. The right-hander came through with a line drive RBI single in the second inning that put the Red Sox ahead 1-0.

White, known for being a strong defender, also made a running catch on Jose Fernandez’s 104.3 mph, 334-foot line drive to left field in the fifth inning.

He’s5 for 19 with a walk, two RBIs and one stolen base for Boston.

3. Brayan Bello continued his excellent pitching as a bulk reliever following an opener. He tossed 4 ⅔ innings, allowing one run, three hits and one walk while striking out three.

Interim manager Chad Tracy was asked before the game if the Red Sox have considered moving Bello back to the starting rotation. Tracy replied, “It’s difficult to ignore how very, very effective he has been coming out of the bullpen in a bulk relief role and taking down innings. So I don’t think that we’ve closed the book on that by any means. It just feels like that’s the way to do it right now.”

Bello has a 0.85 ERA (52 ⅔ innings, five earned runs) in 11 relief outings compared to a 10.35 ERA (35 ⅔ innings, 41 earned runs) in eight starts.

4. Shortstop Andruw Monasterio has struggled defensively with -13 outs above average. But he made a splendid play on Jordan Lawlar’s 95.6 mph groundball in the second inning. He ranged to his left, scooped it, spun around and threw off-balance to first base for the out. He’s made a strong case offensively that he should continue to be in the everyday lineup (maybe at second base) when shortstop Trevor Story returns from the IL.

5.Willson Contreras has been in somewhat of a power drought recently with two home runs in 22 games from July 20 through Aug. 16. But he hit his 25th home run of the season Monday, setting a new career high. His 347-foot solo home run to lead off the fifth inning just cleared the Green Monster and put Boston ahead 5-0.

6. Nick Sogard was penciled in to bat eighth in Boston’s initial lineup. But when the Red Sox scratched leadoff hitter Jahmai Jones (hip tightness), they moved Sogard to the top spot. It paid off as he ripped a 387-foot RBI double to center field that put Boston ahead 2-0 in the second inning.

Sogard also doubled with the bases empty and two outs in the fourth inning, then scored on Ceddanne Rafaela’s double, making it 4-0 Boston.

7. Rafaela had a tough series over the weekend in Pittsburgh, going 1 for 9 with five strikeouts, so hitting three doubles Monday was an encouraging sign.

8.Caleb Durbin had three singles and one walk. He drove in a run and scored twice.

9. Mickey Gasper was a late addition to the lineup after the Red Sox scratched DH Jahmai Jones with hip tightness. Gasper hit his first home run as a member of the Red Sox, a 343-foot shot wrapped around Pesky’s Pole.

10. Adley Rutschman has had a tough start to his Red Sox career, going 3 for 23. But two of those hits — an RBI double and single — came here Monday.

11. Left-hander Alec Gamboa served as the opener for Boston’s bullpen game. He retired all four batters he faced, inducing three groundball outs and one strikeout.

12. Wyatt Olds made his MLB debut for the Red Sox in the ninth inning. He struck out the first batter he faced, getting James McCann looking. He then struck out Lawlar swinging and got Tim Tawa to ground out to third base to end it.

13. The Red Sox and Diamondbacks will play the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.25 ERA) will start for Boston while righty Merrill Kelly (8-10, 5.11 ERA) will pitch for Arizona.

Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.