Several hours before gametime, in his daily pre-game media availability, manager Alex Cora was musing about the progress that has been made this season by Franchy Cordero.
Cora went over some changes Cordero had made since last season, and how that has helped his strike zone judgement and allowed him to put the ball in play far more regularly.
"Now that he's confident,'' said Cora, "we're probably going to see him hitting the ball in the air a little more and the power is going to play.''
In the 10th inning of a 4-4 tie with the Seattle Mariners, Cordero proved his manager prophetic. With the bases loaded and two out, Cordero quickly fell behind 0-and-2 before Seattle reliever Andres Munoz made the mistake of hanging a slider. Cordero crushed it, sending the ball over the home bullpen and into the first few rows of the right field bleachers and sending Fenway into a bit of delirium.
With one swing, Cordero gave the Sox a four-game sweep of the Mariners, extended their winning streak to a season-high five games and wrapped up the homestand with a 6-1 mark.
It was the kind of at-bat that Cordero couldn't have provided a year ago. But with some hard work over the winter and in spring training, Cordero showed the Red Sox that he was a different hitter, and when the Sox moved on from Travis Shaw earlier this month, he got his shot.
On Saturday, he supplied a triple and soon after scored the winning run. But Sunday was another level.
"This moment is very close to my debut in the big leagues,'' said a beaming Cordero afterward. "I'm really happy to contribute to the team.''
To the fan base, until very recently, Cordero stood as inadequate return in the trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City in February 2021. Sure, he had tools -- plus-plus power, as evidenced by his 472-foot homer in Philadelphia last season. But that was literally the lone homer he hit at the major league level last year. The vast majority of his at-bats, meanwhile, seemed to end in futility, resulting in either weak groundouts or, more likely, strikeouts.
And when Benintendi raced out to a great start this past April, it only highlighted the frustration most felt about the deal.
But in the Red Sox clubhouse, Cordero is among the team's most popular players, known for both his low-key personality which is sometimes contradicted by his energetic demeanor in the dugout.
It's worth noting that, a year ago, it was Cordero's idea to have Red Sox hitters wave to their teammates in the dugout when they reached base. More recently, he came up with the idea of pantomiming breaking a bat over a leg when they get on.
His teammates have offered their support and praised his contributions this season, and could not have been happier for his extra-inning heroics Sunday -- as evidenced by the madcap celebration as he crossed home plate.
"He's been swinging the bat well,'' said Cora. "He had some opportunities early on (and lined out, hard, twice) and he just stayed with his approach. That was good to see.''
It was especially rewarding for Cordero, who has dealt with the burden of having great raw tools, but unable to put then together for any sustained success. As recently as this past winter, the Sox designated him for assignment when they needed space on the 40-man roster, but he went unclaimed on waivers and returned to the organization.
Now, thanks to the struggles of Bobby Dalbec at first base he's finally getting his opportunity, and he's ready to make the most of them.
"There's a lot of guys in that clubhouse who are very happy for him,'' said Cora. "He brings a lot of joy to the team, a lot of energy. To put the work in (and get the results) is gratifying. Last year wasn't great, and then he was DFA'd, but we were happy he (stayed). From the Dominican Republic to spring training, you could see it. He's done an outstanding job controlling the zone and we're very proud of him.''
At the end of a winning season, a handful of games stand out from the rest. If what the Red Sox have done over the last two weeks is more indicative of who they are, then Sunday's extra-inning win will be among the most memorable, and maybe even be cited as a real turning point.
If that's the case, Cordero will have earned himself a place in the re-telling of the 2022 season. Derided by many as a bust last season and nearly written off by the team over the winter. Sunday was his time to shine. And like his improved approach at the plate, he didn't miss.
