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Red Sox were ‘fired up’ for Carlos Narváez after clutch home run in win vs. Phillies
"I’m sure it’s a huge moment for him."
Red Sox got a potential “signature win” against Phillies: After dropping the first two games of the series against the Phillies — including a rare walk-off catcher’s interference call against Boston’s Carlos Narváez — the Red Sox fought back to salvage a win in the series finale on Wednesday night.
In a back-and-forth game, Boston emerged with a vital 9-8 win over 11 innings. As a result, the Red Sox remain in a wild-card spot, 1.5 games above both the Rays and Rangers.
“I feel like this is — I don’t want to say the signature win of the season, but it feels like it,” Romy Gonzalez said afterward, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.
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The win represented a new turn for Boston, having dropped the previous seven extra-inning games on the road. Two of the important hits in the game — Gonzalez’s grand slam in the sixth inning, and Narváez’s two-run homer in the 11th — came from players who had been mired in tough stretches.
Gonzalez was 0-for-20 with eight strikeouts prior to the grand slam. Narváez was called for catcher’s interference two times in two days in the preceding losses against Philadelphia. Yet both players persevered, coming through on Wednesday.
“I’m sure it’s a huge moment for him,” Gonzalez said of Narváez, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “The boys were fired up for him.”
Looking ahead at a possible playoff push, Narváez noted that environments like the one at Citizens Bank Park are a good measurement for the level the Red Sox need to reach.
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“We showed we can play in a postseason game right now, you know what I mean? This is the environment of a postseason game,” Narváez said. “Back and forth, we were down 5-0 with two losses already. So that doesn’t bother us.”
Trivia: Carlos Narváez was born in Maracay, Venezuela. Who is the only Venezuelan-born player in the Hall of Fame?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Hint: He finished his legendary MLB career with the Red Sox from 1971-1973.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox defeated the Phillies 9-8 in 11 innings on Wednesday, avoiding the series sweep in the process.
Boston returns to Fenway Park to play the Dodgers in a three-game series starting tomorrow evening at 7:10 p.m.
Also on Friday, the Revolution host CF Montreal at 7:30 p.m.
Patriots training camp also continues, with the second day of practices (open to fans) set to get underway on Thursday morning.
More from Boston.com:
- Carlos Narváez’s 11th-inning 2-run homer lifts Red Sox over Phillies 9-8
- It didn’t take Stefon Diggs long to connect with Drake Maye, and other takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots training camp
- Mike Vrabel, puppy in hand, jokingly quizzed reporters on first day of Patriots training camp
- Drake Maye is ‘tired of losing.’ His leadership will be crucial as the Patriots try to change that.
- Patriots’ Milton Williams has a newfound respect for pro boxers after putting on the gloves to cross-train
- Ranking Bruins prospects 20-11: Plenty of bruisers in the system
- Jeff Passan: Red Sox ‘not inclined’ to make big moves at trade deadline
- Tom Brady credited this longtime rival as a ‘gift’ to his career
- Could the Celtics target Ben Simmons as an affordable free-agent flier?
- Marcus Smart said he expects ‘a lot of boos’ from Celtics fans after signing with Lakers
- MLS, playing without Messi, beats Liga MX 3-1 in All-Star Game
- Boston Fleet name Kris Sparre to succeed Courtney Kessel as head coach
A wild stat line: If the Red Sox win felt particularly unusual on Wednesday, that’s because it was.
Romy Gonzalez’s moment: The Red Sox first baseman came up with a clutch grand slam in Boston’s win. The reaction from the bench was instantaneous, and electric.
On this day: In 2004, the Red Sox fought back against the Yankees (literally), with the famous Jason Varitek-Alex Rodriguez dust-up kicking off one of the more memorable games in the history of the iconic rivalry.
Boston eventually won the game on a dramatic walk-off home run from Bill Mueller off of Mariano Rivera.
Daily highlight: Jacob Young went above and beyond to steal a home run on Wednesday, though the Nationals lost to the Reds in the end 5-0.
Trivia answer: Luis Aparicio
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