In a game that featured 13 hits - including two homers -- and six shutout innings from their starter, it might be difficult to pinpoint the first hit of the night as the key to the Red Sox snapping their three-game losing streak.
But for a team that seemed incapable of generating either runs or energy the last few nights, a leadoff double from Michael Chavis more than served its purpose.
Playing second base and hitting first against Oakland, Chavis hit a sinking liner to center that Oakland A's outfielder Ramon Laureano raced in and attempted to snare. But diving forward, Laureano couldn't grab the ball and hold on. Running hard out of the box, Chavis sensed an opportunity.
"When I saw him dive, I knew it was going to take him a second to get up,'' recalled Chavis after the Sox had thumped the A's convincingly 8-1. "So, off the bat, I'm just trying to take a hard turn around first. Then, it was just a read, waiting to see what happened, see it unfold. He didn't hop up quite as quick as I anticipated, so once I saw that, I thought had a chance. He does have an incredible arm, so that was definitely something to take into account. But good thing it turned out well.''
Chavis slid in head-first safely into second, and in an instant, Fenway was electrified. Chavis waved to his teammates in the dugout, each of whom was energized by his opening statement. A few pitches later J.D. Martinez lined a single to left, scoring Chavis with the game's first run. And on the very first pitch he saw from A's starter Xander Bogaerts drilled a ball right down the left field line and out.
Nine pitches, three runs. And suddenly the slump was a distant memory and the Red Sox were recharged. Three more runs would follow in the second, and a solo run was tacked on in the third.
The rest was mere window dressing. But the point had already been made. No, the Red Sox wouldn't be swept by the A's, and no, they wouldn't be quiet.
Chavis can be something of a polarizing figure on the Sox. It could be easy to find his exuberance off-putting and his enthusiasm -- in the dugout, in media interviews -- a little over-the-top.
What's more, it's hard to see where he fits in long-term. The Sox clearly are willing to give Bobby Dalbec time to overcome his penchant for strikeouts, confident that the power will be well worth waiting for. At second, with Kike Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez and Christian Arroyo are well ahead of him on the depth chart. Chavis is, in fact, only here because both Hernandez and Arroyo are currently on the IL.
As for the outfield, despite a large "Help Wanted'' sign in left field, the Red Sox are seemingly not interested in having Chavis contribute there. He got no work there in spring training, or at the alternate site in Worcester over the last month.
There remains, too, questions about Chavis's swing decisions. Since he arrived in the big leagues, he's shown himself too often incapable of either making contact or staying away from fastballs up in the zone, a weakness that opposing teams are only too happy to exploit time and again.
But when he gets hot at the plate, Chavis possesses undeniable power with the bat. And having committed himself to dropping weight over last winter, he's more athletic. That speed came in handy as he tried to outrace Laureano's arm in the first inning.
"In regards to performance, obviously it helps because I'm definitely faster and able to be a little bit more athletic'' said Chavis of his reshaped physique. "But in terms of mentality, I'm also more willing to take a few chances on riskier plays like that and know that I have a good shot of making it. That's potentially one of those plays, or one of those risks that I would have taken in 2020.''
His stay could be brief. It's possible that when the Sox begin a road trip Tuesday to play Toronto, both Hernandez and Arroyo could again be active and Chavis could find himself back in Worcester, forced to wait for another opportunity.
But for one night, when his team was in search of something to snap them from their offensive doldrums, let the record show that Chavis supplied them with a jolt.
Right from the start.