Red Sox continue to power up

No Mookie Betts. No Hanley Ramirez. No Dustin Pedroia.

No problem.

Despite the fact that Betts, Ramirez and Pedroia were not in the lineup on Sunday against Chicago, the Red Sox power surge continued with three homers — including a pair from Chris Young and one from Eduardo Nunez — as Boston played long ball again.

Including Sunday’s three home runs, the Red Sox have now hit 17 homers in the last 11 games. That includes more than one a game in their past five contests.



It’s a winning formula — Boston is 27-4 when it homers more than once a game.

“I can’t say that there’s been anything wholesale [that's] changed,” John Farrell said when asked after the game about the recent power boost. “Pitches that we’re looking for, we’ve gotten into some good counts. But we’re driving the baseball with a little more frequency.”

Nunez is one possible reason. He hit his fourth Sox homer Sunday afternoon and is batting .400 with the four home runs and 12 RBI in nine games with Boston. Youngster Rafael Devers has also packed a punch with three homers and six RBI since he was called up July 25.

"[Nunez] and Devers showed up, and all of a sudden, I think they lit a fire under everybody," said Young after the game.

Young was in the lineup Sunday against the White Sox in place of Betts, who was afforded a rare day off by Farrell. Young had also enjoyed good numbers against Chicago starter Mike Pelfrey. The combination paid off handsomely for the Red Sox, as he blasted a solo shot in the first and a three-run homer in the fifth inning, both off Pelfrey.

“When you don’t play much, you find yourself in the cage messing with your swing all day, every day. So I’m always tweaking this and tweaking that,” Young said. “I was able to play three games in a row, so if I feel something the first game, I can make that adjustment for the next game. I didn’t feel great [Saturday] so I’m able to make an adjustment a little bit quicker just because the at-bats are more clumped up together.”

Young also gained a measure of revenge on Chicago, as the White Sox intentionally walked Andrew Benintendi in the fifth to pitch to him.

“You definitely feel better if you get the job done in that situation. And if you don’t get the job done you feel a little worse than you would if the game was just going as it normally does,” said Young. “The good thing about today is I was able to hit after [Benintendi] and hit in front of [Rafael] Devers, who’s swinging the bat well.

He added: “So in that situation, they kind of have to come at me and challenge me and allow me to be the guy to beat them. It was nice to be able to get it done.”