Nava Lights up the Yankees

Conor Frederick
Contributing Writer

Daniel Nava was without a doubt the star of last night's 9-2 win over the New York Yankees, going 4-5 with 2 doubles and an RBI. His 4 hits last night tied a career high, which he's done 3 times now this season, according to ESPN Boston. According to ESPN Boston, since coming back from paternity leave for the birth of his daughter Faith on August 8th, he's hit .400 while getting on base in almost half his at bats. Nava has remained humble, saying that he's just trying to contribute along with everyone else on the team.

From ESPN Boston:

“I think I’m just trying to finish the season strong just as every guy in this clubhouse is,” Nava said. “We put up nine runs and there’s a lot of guys who contributed to those nine runs besides myself.”

His story is unique, and I'm sure most of us have heard it by now, but bear with me while I bore you (or not, if you find it interesting like I do) with it again. He was turned down by college teams and independent teams before he eventually joined the Chico Outlaws, and the Red Sox bought out his contract for $1. Since then, he's paid off big time, from hitting a grand slam on his first AB in the majors to this streak.

He can say what he wants about being a team player, and he's saying all the right things, but this streak came at a great time for the Sox. He's played a huge part in the push for the division crown, and opening up a huge lead in the AL East. And he has John Farrell singing his praises. Farrell told ESPN Boston that he's put in a lot of hard work and that the team was wise to not give up on him.

“I think anytime there’s a willingness to take constructive feedback and work as hard as he has to overcome maybe a deficiency in the moment, it’s a guy you root for,” Farrell said of Nava before Sunday’s game. “To perform at the level he is right now, this is something that no one could ever foresee.”

“That’s why you never give up on a guy that shows you some talent.”

So, keep it up, Daniel, and hopefully it will continue into the postseason and maybe even a World Series championship. I can dream, can't I? Follow me on Twitter - @ConorJF1016 and let me know what you think, or leave a comment..