Red Sox Strut: Outfielder Andrew Benintendi, LHP Chris Sale
By Sean Penney
Position Player Candidates
Eduardo Nunez hasn’t stopped hitting since he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants. His hot streak actually extends back to well before the trade. Nunez recovered from a slow start in the first month of the season to hit .340 since the beginning of May. That average is up to .352 over the last 30 days. Last week he went 7-for-23 (.304) with a pair of doubles, which actually dropped his batting average to .318 for the season.
More from Red Sox News
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
It’s been a lost season for Brock Holt, who missed significant time with concussion symptoms and struggled to find his timing at the plate when he finally returned. He’s shown flashes of regaining his previous form lately, going 2-for-7 with a double and three runs scored in the three games he played last week.
Rookie third baseman Rafael Devers saw his batting average dip after going 4-for-15 (.267) last week. However, one of those hits was arguably the biggest of his young career. With the Red Sox trailing 2-1 in the ninth inning against the Yankees, Devers blasted a solo home run off closer Aroldis Chapman to tie the game. The 102.8 mph heater was the fastest pitch ever hit for a home run in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008). It was also only the second home run Chapman has allowed in his career to a left-handed hitter.