All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 9-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Pivetta shines again: It may not have been on par with the outings turned in by rookie Tanner Houck, but for the second time in as many tries, Nick Pivetta was sharp. Pivetta gave the Red Sox five solid innings, allowing just one run on four hits while walking two and striking out five along the way. He gave up a solo homer to Marcell Ozuna three batters into the first, but didn't allow another baserunner past second base after that. He attacked the strike zone with a mid-90s fastball and offered a good mix of breaking pitches. In his first start with the Sox, he relied more on his curveball, but Sunday featured more use of his slider. The ability to adapt from start-to-start is an important trait for starters. So, too, is improved command, and though five walks over 10 innings is more than you'd like to see, most of the time, Pivetta got ahead of hitters. And, importantly, he was able to limit damage on the occasions when he did temporarily lose command of the strike zone.
JBJ goes out with a bang: If this was the final game of Jackie Bradley Jr's Red Sox career, it was a memorable one. It began with a double to lead off the game. It continued with a spectacular leaping catch in the bottom of the third in which Bradley robbed Atlanta infielder Ozzie Albies of extra bases. It then continued with a homer in the fourth and a single in the seventh. The only miss? Bradley, needing a triple to complete the cycle, struck out swinging in the ninth in his final at-bat. Still, thanks to a strong month of September, Bradley finished with a career-best batting average of .283 and an OPS of .814, likewise, the best of his career. Regardless of where he ends up, having a more consistent offensive season can only help his marketability as a free agent.
Players will miss Roenicke: Red Sox players and coaches were informed that Ron Roenicke would not return for 2021 Sunday morning when Roenicke arrived at the ballpark. After the game, a few players spoke in the clubhouse and saluted Roenicke for his three-year association with the team in what an emotional scene. "It was tough,'' said Xander Bogaerts. "He was a huge influence for me personally -- for my life and also my baseball career and I know for sure he's meant a lot to the other guys. I feel like he was just the perfect guy for this situation, and this tough year. It was tough coming to the ballpark, especially losing a lot, and he just found a good way to communicate with us. He's definitely someone who we will miss. It was a tough day.''
TURNING POINT:
The Red Sox led 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Darwinzon Hernandez began to struggle in relief of Pivetta, loading the bases with one out on a single and two walks. But Hernandez caught Tyler Flowers looking at a called third strike and then got Ender Inciarte swinging to strand three. In the top of the next inning, the Sox erupted for five runs and off they went.
TWO UP
Jonathan Arauz: The rookie infielder has slumped in the last month, but enjoyed a big game with three hits -- including his first major league homer in his final at-bat in the ninth inning - and a total of three RBI.
Xander Bogaerts: Bogaerts had a double and homer. The latter tied him with Rafael Devers for the team lead in homers (11) and the two hits allowed Bogaerts to finish the season at .300.
ONE DOWN
Rafael Devers: After a torrid stretch from mid-August through mid-September, Devers finished poorly. He was just 1-for-6 in the finale, including two strikeouts. He also managed to make two outs in the same inning.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Before the game, I was like, if I hit a homer today, I'm just going to go up to (Ron Roenicke) and give him a big hug before I go into the dugout. Everything just happened so quick, and I kind of just forgot. But I told myself I would try to hit one for him and try to win this game for him.'' - Xander Bogaerts
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING:
- The win allowed the Red Sox to finish .500 (10-10) vs. National League teams.
- The Sox scored seven or more runs in six of their last seven games.
- Bogaerts finished the season with a 10-game hitting streak.