All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Mets complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Sale still not at his sharpest: In his seventh start since returning from Tommy John surgery, Chris Sale qualified for the win, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out eight. On the plus side, Sale flashed some improved velocity, with his fastball topping out at 96 mph, a significant improvement over last time, when Sale was coming back from a 10-day stint on the COVID-IL. But he was far from efficient, needing 89 pitches to get through five innings. Only once since he's returned has Sale been able to get through six innings. Worse, Sale allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in each of the last four innings. Of the six hits he allowed, some were fairly hard-hit, too. Perhaps Sale just needs more time to fully build arm strength, but for now, he's far from his vintage self. Sale vowed post-game that he's fully capable of supplying more innings and throwing more pitches than he has to date, and left little doubt that there's more in the tank. Perhaps he's just lying in wait.
Schwarber goes off: Alex Cora is rotating through a number of players for his nightly lineup, On Wednesday night, it was Schwarber's time to get some time at first base with Bobby Dalbec off and Schwarber made the move look smart when he cranked two massive homers in his first two trips -- the first way up in the center field bleachers and the second over the visitor's bullpen in right. Perhaps that shouldn't have been a surprise, since he came into the night 3-for-8 with three homers in his career against Mets starter Taijuan Walker. Moreover, Scwahrber now has four multi-homer games this season alone against the Mets. In the pre-game hitters' meeting, he advised his teammates to be on the lookout for fastballs from Walker, and they apparently took that to heart, knocking out Walker after just two innings with six runs on six hits.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox led 6-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning, having chased Mets starter Taijuan Walker and already in full control of the game. But just to make sure, the Sox banged out consecutive doubles by J.D. Martinez and Alex Verdugo, producing another run. Three batters later, Verdugo would come around to score on a triple by Jose Iglesias, and Iglesias himself would trot home when a relay throw skipped past third base. By then, it was 9-1 and the rout was on.
TWO UP
Jose Iglesias: Iglesias had a triple and walk, knocked in two runs while scoring two while extending his hitting streak to nine games, and also started a brilliant double play at second with a diving stop and backhand flip to second
J.D. Martinez: While the game was still (somewhat) up for grabs, he had a single and double, knocking in a run.
ONE DOWN
Matt Barnes: The Sox are trying to get Barnes some work to get him right for the postseason, but there's a long way to go toward that goal. He faced four hitters, walking two and allowing a single before he was lifted with the bases loaded.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I love them - what it represents means even more to us....I think you're going to see them even more.'' Chris Sale on the Red Sox' yellow uniforms.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* For the second game in a row, Kike Hernandez recorded an outfield assist - the 42nd for the Red Sox outfield this season.
* The two-homer game by Kyle Schwarber was his fourth this season against the Mets. He has a
* The Red Sox improved to 13-4 in interleague play this season.
* The Sox are 13-6 in September, and since Aug. 20, they're 19-11 while going 7-2-1 in their last 10 series.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox are off Thursday before beginning a weekend series with the Yankees on Friday, It will be RHP Nathan Eovaldi (10-8, 3.58) vs. RHP Gerrit Cole (15-8, 3.03) at 7:10 p.m.
