TAMPA -- Knowing he was set to start paternity leave before Wednesday¡¯s finale of a three-game series against the Rays, Alex Bregman made sure to give his teammates a parting gift when they needed it most.
Boston¡¯s veteran third baseman will also have a great story to tell his second child some day.
Bregman led the charge with a monster performance on Tuesday night (5-for-5, two homers, a double, four RBIs) to help lift the offense out of a recent malaise, powering his Red Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
It was Bregman¡¯s first career five-hit game, and he couldn¡¯t have timed it better, personally or professionally.
¡°He has a few things in the upcoming days family-wise,¡± said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. ¡°To have a great day like this is kind of the beginning of a great week for him.¡±
There was nothing great about Monday for a squad that got pasted, 16-1, in the series opener. Couple that with an 11-1 loss to the White Sox in Friday¡¯s opener of a six-game road trip, and many Red Sox players were in a sour mood when they left the ballpark Monday night.
But Tuesday was a new day, as Cora aptly reminded the media prior to the game.
How did Cora decompress after his team¡¯s worst loss of the season on Monday night at the hands of the Rays?
¡°I walked five [miles] today,¡± said Cora. ¡°I didn¡¯t run five. I walked five. That is the beauty of this sport, right? We can say whatever you want about yesterday and today you have to show up and play. Different pitchers, same teams. Play good baseball today, win the game and have a shot to win the series tomorrow.¡±
By the end of Tuesday, those words sounded prophetic. The Red Sox were very much off and running (and hitting) on a night of redemption at Steinbrenner Field, as their recently dormant offense came to life in a satisfying performance.
¡°Yeah, we've had two tough ones in five days now,¡± said Bregman. ¡°So obviously it's good to play our brand of baseball today, and that was nice to see. I think guys did a really good job of preparing before the game and taking it into the game, and being convicted in what their plan was and executing.¡±
Bregman -- who never had a five-hit game in the Minors and thinks this was his first since high school -- was far from alone in terms of that execution.
Jarren Duran, the energizing leadoff man who makes the Red Sox go, hit his first homer of the season in the second inning, a two-run shot to left. He added two walks and stole a base.
Rafael Devers snapped an 0-for-13 slump by hammering a double to right-center in his first at-bat, setting up Bregman for an RBI single that gave the Red Sox a lead they would never relinquish in the top of the first.
Perhaps most importantly, the Red Sox played an error-free game after making 12 in the previous eight (six losses).
¡°It was super important,¡± Bregman said. ¡°I think just execution is the key at this level. Obviously, we're playing against the best players in the world, and when you don't execute, they take advantage of it. And you need to execute in all three phases, and be convicted in what you're doing. And I think the guys did a really good job today.¡±
While the resurgence of an offense that had scored just 14 runs over the previous eight games was the lead story, Walker Buehler turned in a strong performance on the mound, holding the Rays to three hits and two runs over five innings while pitching in the hitter¡¯s haven that is Steinbrenner Field.
It was Buehler¡¯s first win in his four starts for the Red Sox.
He should get plenty more of those if the Boston bats have the productive summer many are expecting.
¡°I think we have five, six, seven guys that can have a day like Bregman did today and win us a game,¡± said Buehler. ¡°I think that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for is that depth, but not depth in terms of ¡®Oh, they could get a hit today¡¯, but depth of guys that can take over a game.¡±
Bregman took over, and then he prepared for a flight back to Boston to be with his wife, Reagan, as she delivers the couple a sibling for their son, Knox.