All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 5-3 win over the Marlins, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Sox continue to grind it out: The win gave the Red Sox a win in their series against Miami and left them with a winning record (5-4) on the nine-game road trip, with three series against playoff contenders. And while it's true that major leaguers are always supposed to provide effort all the way to the end, that's not always the case for teams that find themselves out of contention with weeks remaining in the schedule. "That's what we appreciate the most, with these guys continuing to play just as hard as they did on Opening Day,'' said Ron Roenicke. "That says a lot about the player and what's important -- to be able to play the game just as hard now as (earlier), that's pretty impressive. It tells a lot about the individuals and it says a lot about the group.'' It also says something about Roenicke's whose future is yet to be determined. That the Sox have remained focus and competitive in the last month speaks highly of his ability to keep the team motivated and the respect they have for him.
Plawecki continues to produce big at-bats: As a backup catcher, Kevin Plawecki doesn't get a chance to play all that much. He's mostly reserved for double-headers and, like Thursday, day games after night games. But when he's played this season, he's made his presence felt in the batter's box. Plawecki was always a good hitting catcher in the minor leagues, but as a backup in the big leagues, he's hadn't kept that up. This year, that's been different. Heading into Thursday's game, he was averaging an RBI every 4,67 at-bats, the best figure of his career. And that trend continued in the sixth inning when he had a marathon at-bat that resulted in a two-run single to snap what had been a scoreless tie. Plawecki is now 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position this season."I don't try to do anything different, I don't try to get too big,'' Plawecki offered. "I try not to let the moment get too big for me. I just try to control my breath, control the moment and get a pitch that I can hit. I try to stick to my game plan. If I get out, I get out. I've been seeing the ball so much better this year and my swing has allowed me to have (good) results.''
Eovaldi finishing on a high note: Starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi still has one more start remaining -- probably Wednesday at home with Baltimore -- but after a frustrating period that saw him miss more than three weeks with a calf muscle pull, he's put together two strong outings in recent weeks, allowing him to finish strong. He threw three scoreless innings in his return from the IL, then added five more Thursday. He didn't allow any hits until the fifth inning, then was able to work out of the jam he created without allowing damage. "I feel like I'm attacking the zone better these last couple of outings,'' said Eovaldi. "I've been throwing the ball in, mixing in all of my pitches. I'm not just relying on my fastball. I feel like I can throw the fastball in, away, up in the zone and I've got my off-speed pitches to follow that.'' With just eight starts and only three wins, it surely hasn't been the season he envisioned, but at least it's ending in a positive fashion.
TURNING POINT
The Sox looked to have a comfortable 5-0 lead in the seventh inning, but four straight hitters reached against Phillips Valdez and Jeffrey Springs leading to two runs scoring and two baserunners in scoring position. Ryan Weber came in to face the potential tying run at the plate,but got a groundout and a strikeout to turn back the threat and the Sox were never challenged again after that.
ONE UP
Alex Verdugo: The Sox right fielder had another monster game, with three hits and a run scored, giving him six hits in the last two games and a seven-game hitting streak.
Rafael Devers: Devers hit a 423-foot, three-run homer to turn a 2-0 squeaker into a more roomy 5-0 lead in the seventh. It was his fifth homer in the last 10 games and gave him the team lead in homers with 11.
ONE DOWN
Jeffrey Springs: Springs had been pitching effectively in relief over the last few weeks, but he faced three hitters in the seventh and allowed two run-scoring hits.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It's almost like it's frustrating that the season's ending now. I feel like we're starting to come back and play better, come together as a team better. I feel like we've finally hitting that groove and playing better baseball. It's frustrating that it's coming to an end.'' Nathan Eovaldi.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
- The Sox improved to 8-9 this season in interleague play.
- Ryan Brasier turned in his seventh straight scoreless appearance.