Red Sox
“Hopefully it’s the first one of many.”
Wilyer Abreu seemingly can’t be stopped.
Despite not being penciled into the starting lineup for the Red Sox’s first game of their day-night doubleheader against the Cardinals on Sunday, Boston’s right fielder made his presence felt in crunch time.
The 25-year-old outfielder capped off Boston’s comeback win in the bottom of the 10th, lacing the first pitch he received from Ryan Fernandez and driving it into left field, with the offering clanging off the Green Monster for a walk-off RBI single.
“Just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Abreu said via team translator Carlos Villoria-Benitez on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Trying to [get a] pitch that I can do damage and can bring the run in. So that was what I’m always looking for.”
Before Abreu drove in Alex Bregman to seal Boston’s 5-4 win, Abreu was slated to spend Sunday’s early game in the dugout, with Alex Cora opting to give the slugging outfielder some rest against St. Louis.
“He’s been dealing with some heavy legs,” Cora told reporters Sunday before the two-game slate, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “Obviously running around that much and the spring training thing. So obviously (Saturday), the way things were trending, we pulled him out. He’ll play the second game (Sunday).”
Abreu was initially slated to play in Saturday’s game against the Cardinals at Fenway before getting scratched a few hours later during the team’s extended rain delay. That scratched designation initially carried over into Sunday, at least until the ninth inning.
“I feel good right now — obviously the beginning of the day, I wasn’t feeling great, so that’s why I got the game off — the first one,” Abreu said. “But as the day was going on, I was feeling better, and I was able to go. I was thankful for Alex to get me that at-bat.”
With Boston trailing, 4-2, in the bottom of the ninth, Abreu pinch-hit for Rob Refsnyder in the frame. After both Trevor Story and Abreu worked back-to-back walks, Romy Gonzalez made it a one-run game with a one-out double.
Connor Wong loaded the bases with a walk of his own, while St. Louis closer Ryan Helsley then walked in a run with Rafael Devers at the plate to make it a 4-4 contest.
The following inning, Abreu helped Boston secure its fourth straight win. The 2024 Gold Glove Award continues to hold court as the Red Sox’s top hitter, and arguably the best bat in the American League.
Through nine games, Abreu is hitting .522 (12-for-23) with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, eight walks, and only two strikeouts.
Among A.L. batters with at least 25 plate appearances so far this season, Abreu is currently first in batting average, on-base percentage (.645), and OPS (1.645).
“Obviously it’s huge for us to be able to start the homestead like this with two big wins,” Abreu said. “Obviously we need to do that the whole year, trying to win as many games as we can here at home — because we have the support of the fans and we’re happy to play here.”
This is not the first time that Abreu’s bat has bailed out Boston this season, as he slugged two home runs — including an eventual game-winning, three-run shot in the ninth inning — to help lift the Red Sox to a season-opening win over the Rangers on March 27.
But Sunday’s victory was an especially welcome sight for Abreu as his first walk-off hit at Fenway Park.
“Hopefully it’s the first one of many,” Abreu said.
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