It was fast, it was never close, and it was glorious.
For the second time in as many Brayan Bello outings this year, a dicey first inning turned into a no-doubt win for the Red Sox, as the team pummeled the Guardians in a brisk affair on getaway day despite off-days for Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu against Cleveland lefty Logan Allen. No matter, as lefty-killer Rob Refsnyder started a scoring barrage with a homer (because of course he did) against the southpaw and the rout continued from there.
Three Studs
Brayan Bello
The kid was nails after a shaky first, at least until he flagged in the sixth, by which time the game was well decided anyway.
Jarren Duran
How do you follow up an iconic steal of home? By going 4-6 (and telling a nasty fan in the front row to get lost).
Kristian Campbell
Great, great game from Campbell, who scored the second run on a heads-up sac fly chance and went 2-2 with 3 walks, 3 runs and a stolen base.
Three More Studs
Rafael Devers
The big boy went 2-6 with a solo homer, which we love to see.
Ceddanne Rafaela
Another Sox with a homer, Rafaela went 2-4 with 5 — count’em 5 — RBIs.
Rob Refsnyder
As noted above, he set the tone with a second-inning dong that eerily resembled Rajai Davis’ World Series-tying blast against the Cubs in the same ballpark.
Play of the Game
I wasn’t sure what to choose but as I wrote “Play of the Game” the broadcast, as if reading my mind, chose its own, a double-steal that worked to perfection:
