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ON THIS DATE (July 12, 2018)
... Mookie Betts is incredible, and while there was
more to this game than just one at bat, Mookie had one at bat that
changed everything. In one of the best battles at the plate ever
seen, the Red Sox superstar changed the game with one swing and led
his team to their tenth straight win.
Before the Red Sox even got to come to the plate, they were
down 2-0. Then, in the bottom half of the fourth, things got weird and things
got very good for the Red Sox. After a quick first out, Xander Bogaerts would
single, and then it appeared he was cut down at second on a fielder’s choice.
However, replay showed that Devon Travis’ foot came off second base a second
early, and the Red Sox won a challenge to keep Bogaerts at second with Brock
Holt at first. Eduardo Núñez would then hit a little nubber to the mound, and
the bases were loaded with one out and Sandy León coming up. The catcher
wouldn’t make hard contact, but his soft grounder to shortstop scored a run,
with Holt being cut down at third on an impressive glove-flip from Lourdes
Gurriel.
Bradley then came up and Happ made a mistake by walking to
re-load the bases for Betts, and then everything happened. It was one of the
best at bats ever seen. Betts would see 13 pitches in the at bat, and one of
them was a pop up in foul ground on the right side that bounced out of Juston
Smoak’s glove. It gave Betts another chance, and he took advantage. On the 13th
pitch, he got a low fastball and he muscled it over everything in left field for
a dramatic grand slam. |
