Jeter Downs discussed his MLB debut, hearing Red Sox fans chanting his name
"That was definitely surreal to have the whole Fenway chanting my name, chanting for a Jeter. It was super cool and super exciting."
The Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Tigers with a 6-2 win on Wednesday. Boston now heads to Cleveland to play the Guardians in a three-game series starting Friday at 7:10 p.m.
Jeter Downs’s comments after his first game: Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs, who was called up from the minor leagues earlier this week, made his Major League Baseball debut on Wednesday in the series finale against the Tigers.
Boston manager Alex Cora made the surprising decision to start Downs at third base instead of Downs’s usual position (shortstop).
Though Downs finished the night 0-4 at the plate, he made several solid defensive contributions despite having never played third base at the professional level.
“Honestly, it felt pretty comfortable,” Downs said after the game. “I took the advice the guys gave me, just go out there and be an athlete. Play it like you’re playing short, and that’s what I did.”
The 23-year-old’s debut may not have been ideal from a batting standpoint, but Downs kept the bigger picture in perspective.
“That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Downs told reporters. “I still can’t believe it happened. I still can’t believe the game’s over. It felt so fast. Didn’t turn out the way I wanted to, but oh well. The team got the win and that’s the most important thing.”
One moment Downs was asked about was when Red Sox fans began cheering in the bottom of the eighth inning, hoping to inspire the infielder to get his first MLB hit.
It was a unique experience as it entailed chants at Fenway Park for “Jeter,” a name that historically has held a very different meaning for Red Sox fans.
“That was insane,” Downs admitted. “I had to step out and take a deep breath. Never had something like that happen before. That was definitely surreal to have the whole Fenway chanting my name, chanting for a Jeter. It was super cool and super exciting. I thank God every day for this opportunity.”
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Another wild record for Shohei Ohtani: The 27-year-old went eight innings on Wednesday, allowing just two hits and no runs to accompany his 13-strikeout masterpiece in a 5-0 win over the Royals.
A better description of this might be the top five “most important” plays of Rob Gronkowski’s career: Somehow, the list does not include either his catch and run vs. the Colts in 2014, or his one-handed catch vs. the Broncos (also from 2014).
On this day: In 2010, the United States men’s soccer team found a miraculous stoppage time winning goal against Algeria in the team’s final group stage game of the World Cup.
Landon Donovan’s clean finish of Clint Dempsey’s rebounded shot gave the U.S. a crucial 1-0 win, catapulting the Americans from the brink of elimination to first place in Group C (and a place in the knockout round).
Daily highlight: Enjoy Victor Hedman’s weaving goal from Wednesday’s Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
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