Backup stars
Sam Galanis
Contributing Writer
Together, the Red Sox outfield went 9-for-14 at Yankee Stadium last night. They had five RBIs, and they scored five runs. And that was just the backup outfield.
All of the Sox backup squad has shown that the team can feel safe if anything happens to the starters. Last night, the outfield was a shining example of that. The Mike Carp, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Daniel Nava trio was deadly.
Daniel Nava isn’t exactly the backup guy, and he has proved that he absolutely should be the atarting left field choice with regular starters Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino at center and right fields respectively. Nava has been batting leadoff in Ellsbury’s place for the past two nights, and last night he looked like he deserved it. He went 4-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs. Some of that was thanks to a three-run homer in the eighth.
Jackie Bradley Jr. was the rookie hero the first week of the season, then fizzled out before he was sent back down to Pawtucket. But last night showed that first-week fire again. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs.
Mike Carp has been solid all season, but not in right field. In fact, last night was the first time he ever played right field in his Major League history. The change didn’t affect his game at all though. Carp went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run.
It’s nice to see an unlikely bunch really pulling the team through a great 11-1 win over the Yankees. With these three plus Jonny Gomes and Pedro Ciriaco, the Sox can relax a bit if when they lose starters to injuries. Even a worn out Dustin Pedroia thinks so.
“Talk to them, man. They were ballers,” Pedroia said, according to the Boston Globe. “Talk to them. I’m tired.”
Comment or follow me @_SamMG
Contributing Writer
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Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports |
All of the Sox backup squad has shown that the team can feel safe if anything happens to the starters. Last night, the outfield was a shining example of that. The Mike Carp, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Daniel Nava trio was deadly.
Daniel Nava isn’t exactly the backup guy, and he has proved that he absolutely should be the atarting left field choice with regular starters Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino at center and right fields respectively. Nava has been batting leadoff in Ellsbury’s place for the past two nights, and last night he looked like he deserved it. He went 4-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs. Some of that was thanks to a three-run homer in the eighth.
Jackie Bradley Jr. was the rookie hero the first week of the season, then fizzled out before he was sent back down to Pawtucket. But last night showed that first-week fire again. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs.
Mike Carp has been solid all season, but not in right field. In fact, last night was the first time he ever played right field in his Major League history. The change didn’t affect his game at all though. Carp went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run.
It’s nice to see an unlikely bunch really pulling the team through a great 11-1 win over the Yankees. With these three plus Jonny Gomes and Pedro Ciriaco, the Sox can relax a bit if when they lose starters to injuries. Even a worn out Dustin Pedroia thinks so.
“Talk to them, man. They were ballers,” Pedroia said, according to the Boston Globe. “Talk to them. I’m tired.”
Comment or follow me @_SamMG
