McAdam: Mitch Moreland keeps delivering for the Red Sox

Sometimes, over the course of a game, a manager has to make a decision with one eye on the moment and the other focused on a couple of innings later.

Such was the case for Ron Roenicke in the seventh inning Sunday afternoon.

The Red Sox were locked in a 3-3 tie with the Toronto Blue Jays, and lefty Ryan Borucki was on the mound. Mitch Moreland's difficulties against lefties are well-documented, but both bench coach Jerry Narron and hitting coach Tim Hyers lobbied Roenicke to stay with Moreland.

"When he's feeling this way, you want him up there as much as you can,'' said Roenicke, noting that Moreland had already homered in the second inning. "Tim and Jerry said, 'Whether it's the ninth or 10th inning, we want him up there again.' ''

There was no immediate payoff against Borucki, with Moreland taking a called third strike. But as it turned out, there was something prescient about the decision.

Two innings later, with Borucki out of the game, the Blue Jays had righty Thomas Hatch on the mound, no lefty options in the bullpen and the potential go-ahead run on first base in the person of Xander Bogaerts, who had drawn a two-out walk.

This was the moment that Hyers and Narron anticipated two innings earlier. And when Hatch came after Moreland with a first pitch strike, Moreland was ready, driving the ball out to left-center, giving the Red Sox their first walkoff victory of the year, 5-3 over Toronto.

Patience had paid off.

And Moreland had extra motivation.



"I got a pep talk from (Roenicke),'' said Moreland. "He told me that if I made the last out (in the ninth) that I had to be the baserunner at second (under the new rule introduced this year for extra innings),'' recounted Moreland. "So I knew I had to make something happen.''

Perhaps -- matchups aside -- it wasn't strange that Roenicke and Co. had anticipated that Moreland might play the late-inning hero. When the Red Sox struggled mightily in the first month of last season, it was Moreland who personally delivered four or five early-season wins.

And while others (Christian Vazquez, Bogaerts) occasionally have been big contributors this season, Moreland has again been the Red Sox' Mr. Dependable in the opening weeks of this year, too.

He's homered in three of his last four games, and leads the Sox in both homers (six) and RBI (12). He's averaging a homer every 5.17 at-bats this season, and while J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi and others struggle mightily, Moreland has been the man who has, on more than a few occasions, bailed them out.

It's perhaps fitting that Moreland rewarded the decision-making in the dugout, because there are times when he isn't an option. His poor results against lefties last season (.204, one homer in 54 at-bats last season) means he's often on the bench when the opponents start a southpaw.

And as Moreland ages, he's battled a history of leg issues (muscle strains, knee and ankle woes) that have made his availability an issue, sometimes regardless of who's pitching.

All those factors mean that Moreland isn't about to demand more playing time, even when he's in one of his patented hot streaks. He knows his history against lefties, and recognizes that the more he plays, the more he risks aggravating something with his lower half.

So he picks his spots and is ready when called upon.

"I try to come in ready to play every day,'' said Moreland. "That's never changed. Even when they tell me I'm not (in there), something can happen and you can never tell what's going to happen. That being said, I understand the situation and I just try to approach it this way: I'm going to be ready when my number's called, whether it's a pinch hit or starting that day.''

There's also this: as a veteran on a one-year deal, Moreland could find himself being dealt at the end of the month when the trade deadline arrives. Moreland would be a nice acquisition for a contending club, many of which would appreciate someone who can provide some pop against righties, still field a decent first base and bring with him some veteran leadership capability that would be most welcome for a team in a playoff chase.

It's possible -- though, for the moment, unlikely -- that he can bring that value to the Red Sox.

That decision that will come in three weeks or so. Until the deadline arrives, Moreland is intent on doing what he can, when he can, to help the Red Sox win. And for now, the Red Sox are grateful they have that option.