Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce making his presence felt in ALCS

Steve Pearce has been impressive for the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, including a clutch homer in Game 3 that ended up being the game-winning run.

For a player who was a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan as a kid, this is a dream come true for Steve Pearce.

Pearce has been a journeyman throughout his entire big league career, playing for seven teams since making his major league debut back in 2007. At 35-years old, Pearce is finally getting the opportunity to contribute on a playoff team. Safe to say he is playing his part.

Pearce was acquired by the Red Sox in late June from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a minor league infielder. The first basemen hit .279 for Boston with seven homers and 26 RBI’s in 50 games played during the regular season, including a three-homer game against the New York Yankees in August. Pearce became just the sixth player ever to hit three bombs in one game in the historic rivalry between the Sox and Yankees.

His value to Boston

Pearce has seven hits and seven runs scored in eight playoff games he’s played in this postseason for the Red Sox. His 456-foot game-winning blast on Tuesday was extremely impressive. He smashed a Joe Smith fastball on the inner half and somehow kept it fair for a solo homer. The pitch was clearly not a strike, but Pearce did an amazing job of bringing his hands in and getting enough of the barrel on the baseball to give Boston the lead for good. That big hit started the momentum for the Red Sox, as they responded just innings later with five unanswered runs to win 8-2.

Mitch Moreland has been dealing with a hamstring injury, so Pearce has been the go-to guy at first base. Moreland will make the start tonight, but Pearce will most likely come off the bench at some point.

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For a guy who’s never played more than a 100 games in a season, Pearce has been nothing short of spectacular. He’s exceeded expectations for the Red Sox. I mean, they acquired him in exchange for a minor leaguer who wasn’t even a top prospect. They weren’t expecting this type of return. He’s been a pleasant surprise.

He has never been a great defensive player, even though he does have the ability to play all over the diamond as a utility guy. However, he’s played pretty well at first base this postseason, including several acrobatic stretches to pick balls out of the dirt. Pearce hasn’t been in the lineup for his defense though. He’s been in the lineup for his bat. It’s the reason he is even in Boston. The veteran has always been a decent hitter with the ability to hit with some power.

His approach at the plate has been very impressive. Pearce has been patient, waiting for a pitch he can drive. He’s drawn five walks in eight games. He’s doing a good job of using the entire field and hitting the ball where it’s pitched.

He could have found his home

After seven different teams over the span of a 12-year big league career, Steve Pearce could have very well found his home with arguably the best team in baseball. His spectacular performance with the bat this postseason can certainly not be ignored and don’t be surprised to see Pearce stay with the Red Sox for the remainder of his major league career.

The Sox will look to book their trip to the World Series in game 5 tonight at Minute Maid Park. Boston will send David Price to the mound, while Houston will counter with ace Justin Verlander.