Red Sox reactions: Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career pinch-hit homer leads Boston over Phillies
· Yahoo Sports
BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox' 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday:
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1. The Red Sox improved to 18-24 while the Phillies dropped to 20-23. Boston now is 8-13 at Fenway Park and 13-20 when facing a right-handed starter.
2. Interim manager Chad Tracy didn’t start Ceddanne Rafaela because he wanted to get the left-handed bats of both Mickey Gasper and Masataka Yoshida in the lineup against Phillies right-handed starter Andrew Painter. But Tracy said before the game, “You’ll probably see him (Rafaela) late.”
Tracy used Rafaela as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning with lefty reliever Tanner Banks on the mound and the game tied 1-1. The Phillies countered, bringing in righty Orion Kerkering to face Rafaela. Rafaela crushed a 96.8 mph fastball from Kerkering for a two-run home run into the Monster Seats. It put Boston ahead 3-1.
3. It marked Rafaela’s first career pinch-hit home run. Rafaela is 3 for 10 with one homer, one double, four RBIs and four strikeouts in his career as a pinch hitter.
4. Red Sox starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings, allowing one run, two hits and one walk while striking out six. He threw 78 pitches, 68% for strikes. He recorded 11 swings and misses, including four with his curveball.
5. Trevor Story homered for the first time since April 15. It was just his third home run of the season and put Boston ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Story connected on a 95 mph sinker from Phillies right-handed starter Andrew Painter and sent it 424 feet over the Green Monster.
6. Story also had a strong day on defense. He made a nice play in the hole to catch J.T. Realmuto’s 97.4 mph ground ball, then delivered a strong throw to first base to record the first out of the eighth inning.
7. Former Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford’s son tied it 1-1 in the third inning. Justin Crawford, a 22-year-old rookie center fielder, blasted a 403-foot home run to center field off Gray.
8. Catcher Connor Wong tripped while chasing Edmundo Sosa’s 27-foot pop-up, so Garrett Whitlock had to make a sliding catch for the final out of the eighth.
9. Carlos Narváez replaced Wong to begin the ninth inning.
10. It went according to script for the Red Sox, with Justin Slaten throwing a scoreless seventh inning, Garrett Whitlock throwing a scoreless eighth inning and Aroldis Chapman saving it with a scoreless ninth.
11. The Red Sox and Phillies will play the final game of their series on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. Ranger Suarez (2-2, 2.77 ERA) will start against his former team. The 30-year-old Venezuelan native spent 2018-2025 with the Phillies, posting a 3.38 ERA in 187 outings (119 starts). The Phillies will counter with left-hander Jesús Luzardo (3-3, 5.77 ERA).
More Red Sox coverage
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- Chad Tracy explains Red Sox lineup decisions, why Ceddanne Rafaela isn’t starting
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- Former Red Sox prospect belts three home runs in return to Triple-A
- Red Sox’ Roman Anthony continues to wear brace; is injury taking longer than expected?
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