Tomase: Four positives Red Sox can take from opening series in Bronx originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
If the whole season is going to be like this, the Red Sox will be emotionally spent by July.
The phrase "playoff intensity" gets thrown about pretty liberally, but over the opening weekend in New York, it absolutely applied. The Red Sox led in all three games. The contests averaged a little over three and a half hours. The two sides were within a run of each other for all but five innings.
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It felt like an extension of last October's wild card game, except this time the Yankees prevailed, taking two of three. Regardless, the Red Sox have plenty of reasons to feel good about themselves as their road trip continues to Detroit.
Let's break 'em down.
1. The bullpen delivered
U.S. & World
It's OK if you feel uneasy every time the bullpen door swings open, but let's give this group its due. What even manager Alex Cora admitted was his biggest concern entering the season certainly delivered against the Yankees.
The Red Sox ended the weekend with the best bullpen ERA in baseball (0.69). They've allowed only nine hits and one run in 13 innings with 15 strikeouts. Had starters Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, and Tanner Houck done a better job (6.43 ERA), the Red Sox might be 3-0 right now.
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Sunday's 4-3 victory required five relievers to combine for 5.2 innings of shutout relief. Rookie Kutter Crawford, who lost the opener in extra innings, delivered two innings of gutsy relief, scattering four hits and striking out three. With a mid-90s fastball and darting cutter, he earned his first big-league win while earning some trust from Cora.
"Kutter, we like him," Cora told reporters. "He has good stuff. He commands the strike zone, he's really good at it, and he did an amazing job for us tonight."
He wasn't alone. Jake Diekman got the surprising call for the ninth and blew away Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Joey Gallo, striking out all three and then defiantly proclaiming he doesn't "give two (expletives)," if he's named closer.
"I've kind of pitched everywhere," Diekman told reporters. "So if I can keep the score the same, either way we're good. I feel like that's the easiest thing to do as a reliever. Don't worry about where you go. Just keep the score the same."
With Matt Barnes expected to return from a sore back, Cora will have decisions to make in the ninth. At least he's got options. Hansel Robles has also pitched well after barely participating in spring training, and lefty Matt Strahm continues to show promise with a 95 mph fastball and hard slider.
We crushed this group on Opening Day, and it's too soon to say they've got everything figured out. But what looked like a liability entering the season is showing signs of hope.
2. Bogaerts and Devers
The two guys who failed to earn contract extensions didn't play like they were holding any grudges. Xander Bogaerts reached base in six of his 13 plate appearances and Rafael Devers homered leading off his season while also making a series of excellent defensive plays at third base.
The two most important hitters in the lineup looked ready to go, and that bodes well for an offense that otherwise scuffled, as is typical of early April in the Northeast.
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The only scare came in extra innings of the opener, when Bogaerts pulled up lame on a single, grabbing at his hamstring. He left the game shortly thereafter and then impressively played both Saturday and Sunday.
Each player will face constant speculation about their respective futures all season, but one way to quiet those questions is to perform, and so far so good on that count.
3. Alex Verdugo
If there was an obvious breakout candidate on the roster, it's Verdugo. The 26-year-old outfielder is entering his prime and coming off an excellent postseason. He was on fire in New York, hitting .455 with a homer and 1.266 OPS. He also made multiple diving catches in left field, where he hopes to win his first Gold Glove.
For the Red Sox offense truly to reach the next level, someone needs to outperform his 2021 numbers. First baseman Bobby Dalbec, who launched the game-winning homer on Sunday, is one candidate. But the other is Verdugo, who has the potential to become an All-Star and deliver the kind of season we waited for out of Andrew Benintendi that never came.
"When you play big-league baseball in general, it's the best thing," Verdugo told reporters. "I'm blessed to do this as a living and call it my job. Every time I step on the field and do this, I'm a little kid again. I'm just enjoying it and to start it out here in New York, it's a cool experience."
4. Track records
The offense that was supposed to carry the team was largely muted in New York. Kiké Hernández and Jackie Bradley Jr. have yet to record a hit. Trevor Story and Christian Vazquez only have one each. The Red Sox are batting just .186 as a team and haven't gotten All-Star designated hitter J.D. Martinez (2 for 13) untracked yet, either.
The good news is, there's too much talent for an offensive downturn to last. Story got a late start to spring training and just needs to refine his timing. Hernández was one of the best hitters in baseball over the second half of last year and into the playoffs. Hitless backups Christian Arroyo and Kevin Plawecki should hit lefties.
If the bullpen continues to keep games close, the offense should eventually provide some breathing room. And then maybe the Red Sox can win a few games without needing to exert playoff intensity.
