Position Player who gets to Strut
All Christian Vazquez does is hit. Among Red Sox hitters who appeared in more than one game last week, Vazquez led the way with a .375 average. He also added his fifth home run of the season and drove in three runs.
Vazquez continues to rake at Fenway Park, where he owns a .372 average this season. His average is nearly 150 points lower on the road, although it was encouraging to see him collect three hits in eight at-bats during the series in Tampa Bay.
Entering as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Friday night’s marathon against the Rays, Vazquez contributed a base hit to help start a rally. He was replaced on the base paths by Rajai Davis, who would ultimately score the tying run that sent the game to extra-innings.
That game was followed by a two-hit performance by Vazquez on Saturday. It was only the seventh time all season that Vazquez has produced a multi-hit game on the road.
We are long past the point where Farrell needs to have his head examined anytime he starts Sandy Leon at home in a game where Chris Sale isn’t on the mound. If Vazquez continues this recent trend of hitting on the road, his workload should increase regardless of venue. While the larger sample still shows Vazquez struggles on the road, it’s not as if Leon has been more productive.