The big blow, of course, was the grand slam by Rafael Devers in the second inning, turning a 2-0 lead into a 6-0 advantage. And it was noteworthy that a lineup that has frequently been unable to add on suddenly posted three more runs in the ninth, easing the tension for a bullpen that hasn't exactly shone in the late innings.
But a closer look at the Red Sox' 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves reveals an even more significant development.
Sure, it was nice to see Devers go deep and for the Sox to bash out 11 hits and have five different players knock in at least one run, the sign of a balanced attack.
But the most noteworthy number in the box score was something else: seven, the number of walks the Red Sox drew.
In past seasons, that might not have merited a mention. But this season, the Red Sox have been far too aggressive at the plate. So much so that, when play began Tuesday, they ranked dead last in the American League with just 65 walks, or, a little more than two per game through the first five weeks of play.
In keeping with the failure to work walks, the Red Sox had also compiled the highest chase percentage of any team in the game.
That wasn't the profile a year ago, when the Sox exhibited a more balanced approach -- aggressive within the strike zone, but perfectly willing to be disciplined into they got something with which they could do damage. If you wanted to pitch around them, they'd be only too willing to pass the baton to the next hitter in the lineup.
Oddly, that approach has been mostly absent this season, traded in, with few exceptions, for a more free-swinging style.
Such a practice is a recipe for failure. If you're swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, as the Red Sox have almost from the outset of the season, you're not often going to properly square balls up. That would explain the Sox' embarrassing homer total coming up (16 in their first 29 games), as well as the fact that before Tuesday night, they were one of just three teams that had failed to score 100 runs. And when the Sox weren't failing to hit balls hard, they were missing some of those pitches altogether, ending rallies and failing to take advantage of runners in scoring position.
Bullpen blowups aside, was it any wonder that they had lost five in a row, 14 of 18 and owned the worst record in their division?
But some hope emerged Tuesday.
Of the seven hitters that walked, only two eventually scored. But two of the walks came with the bases loaded, forcing in runs, so it could be said that four of the seven directly contributed to runs crossing the plate. And while the Red Sox would go on to score nine runs altogether, the Red Sox would have themselves another handful of wins this year had they just managed to score four on a lot of nights.
"We didn't add on until the end,'' noted Alex Cora, "but I think overall, this was one of the best games we've had offensively, as far as controlling the (strike) zone. Overall, we did a good job. I think we had a lot of good at-bats. The line was moving today and that's what we're trying to accomplish -- the bottom of the lineup set up the table for the big boys and then they do what they did.''
Before Tuesday, too often, the burden fell squarely on the Big Three of Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez. And sure enough, that trio combined for six hits four RBI and four runs scored. But they were part of a more balanced attack in the win, rather than faced with the prospect of doing all the damage themselves.
Franchy Cordero, who has a reputation for being one of the team's most freewheeling swingers, set a career high with three walks of his own. The No. 9 hitter, Jackie Bradley Jr., didn't have a hit in four trips, but he did manage two walks and scored a run.
Even from the bottom third of the order, the Sox got baserunners, extending innings and driving up pitch counts.
"It means we're right there,'' said Devers of the season-high walk total. "It means we're patient, we're waiting for our pitch. We're a team that can do that. We're a team with hitters who can do that all the way through the lineup, one through nine.''
For a change, that was true. It wasn't the case in the vast majority of games before Tuesday night. While they deny that they're pressing, it's hard to conclude otherwise when you watch hitters swing outside the zone, desperate to drive the ball somewhere and produce a big inning.
Maybe Tuesday's game will act as a reminder that being more selective can translate into more success.