Former Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts has a catalog of great memories at Fenway Park. This grand slam may be the best chapter in the book though.
Red Sox Nation was more than spoiled with how the team performed during the 2018 campaign. It was the cherry on the sundae of success that has made itself at home at Fenway Park as of late. It never felt like the division let alone the World Series could be stripped from Boston’s grasp.
Just a short while before the All-Star break the team found themselves in a battle with the Toronto Blue Jays. David Price was on the mound and the Blue Jays were feisty as all hell that night, getting to the southpaw for a pair of runs in the first. Fast-forward to the bottom of the fourth inning and the game would be turned on its head.
Toronto starter J.A. Happ had lost control and his pitch count began to skyrocket as Red Sox batters filled the basepaths. With Eduardo Nunez, Sandy Leon, and Jackie Bradley Jr. filling the pond, Mookie Betts came to the plate. This would turn out to not only be a season-defining moment for Betts but one that will be a stamp on his career.
The right-fielder was putting up numbers that would earn him the AL MVP, .347/.4.37/1.107/22 HR/44 RBI, when December came around. However, his kryptonite was on the mound as he had a paltry .161 average against Happ over his career. Then what may be one of the best at-bats in recent Red Sox history began to unfold in front of our eyes.
Early in the battle, Happ had Mookie’s number as it seemed like the future MVP just couldn’t pick up what the hurler was putting down. As the at-bat progressed it felt more like a pair of heavyweights trading haymakers than it did a game of baseball. Pitch after pitch left Happ’s hand and yet Bett wouldn’t budge.
In the fourth inning alone, Happ would throw 46 pitches, 13 of which would be eaten up by Betts, before his night was ended by one swing. With Mookie battling to get the count to 3-2 he finally got the pitch, he was looking for. Toronto’s lefty tossed a fastball low and inside to Betts and then the ball went into the stratosphere. Seriously, Mookie hit the ball so damn far I think it finally landed on Mars.
The fortitude that Betts showed while bending at times but never breaking is why every fan should want him on their team. He knew that his team needed him to step up at that moment and he gave his everything to make sure he didn’t let them down.
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The best part about the grand slam? If Betts had restrained himself he would’ve earned the walk and a run would’ve scored to tie the game. But, as we all know about Mookie, he’s not here to just take an easy walk, he wants to EARN those runs. His celebration is one that will be burned into the memory of all of Red Sox Nation, it was pure joy.
After Betts sent that fastball over the Green Monster he instantly jumped into the air after leaving the batter’s box and shouted at his dugout. It wasn’t a moment of defiance or negativity, but one of exhilaration for what he had done. The Red Sox needed someone to come through for them and Boston’s MVP didn’t miss his chance.
Mookie’s slam would give the Sox a 5-2 lead and also gave Price the chance to settle in and pitch his game. Boston won the game by a 6-4 score and continued their march towards October. That grand slam not only delivered the Sox another victory but it really felt like the point in the season where people took notice. Yeah, they were having one hell of a campaign but that moment was them kicking down the door and putting the league on notice.
We all know how the rest of the story goes for the Red Sox. They continued to mow through the league and then steamrolled the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers on their way to another World Series crown. It’s this moment, at least for me, that was the exclamation on the 2018 season. It showed that Mookie Betts can be an MVP caliber player and can carry a team when they need him.