Red Sox
Gonzalez quickly responded when Boston faced an early deficit. The Red Sox followed suit with six straight unanswered runs.
The Red Sox faced a 2-0 deficit before they even stepped up to the plate on Saturday evening, but it only took one pitch for Romy Gonzalez to change the trajectory of the game.
Gonzalez, who has thrived against lefty starters all season, sent the leadoff pitch in the bottom of the first straight over the Green Monster. It barely caught the top of the wall before bouncing back into play, but still counted as a first-pitch solo shot to bring Boston back within one in a hurry.
Gonzalez’s at-bat gave the Red Sox little time to dwell on the two-run homer Walker Buehler allowed at the top of the frame. And a reinvigorated Boston lineup rattled off six straight runs across four innings, leading to a 7-3 win at home over the Astros.
Gonzalez went 2-for-5 at the plate, scoring twice with one RBI. He wasn’t the highlight offensively; Trevor Story also homered with three RBIs, going 2-for-4, and Abraham Toro hit a two-RBI home run of his own. But Gonzalez just might’ve been the catalyst for Boston on Saturday.
“I think it’s huge, being able to punch back immediately … I think it got the boys going,” Gonzalez told reporters postgame.
Gonzalez didn’t seem to have a defined role beyond an infield backup role heading into 2025. But he’s taken advantage of opportunities to the point where it’s impossible to hold him out of the lineup against lefty pitchers.
Between Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder — who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored — Alex Cora has been able to piece together lineups that can score on lefties even though many of Boston’s best batters are left-handed in their own right.
We’re having fun. We’re moving the pieces, trying to win as many games as possible,” Cora said. “And I love the fact that people are enjoying this.”
For all the disappointment that surrounded Friday’s trade deadline, Boston continues piecing wins together and remaining firmly in the hunt not only for an American League wildcard spot, but for the AL East as a whole.
With Friday’s win, the Red Sox jumped the Yankees for the top AL wildcard spot. They’ve won six of their last seven and are only four games back from the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East.
Sign up for Red Sox updates⚾
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during baseball season.