Red Sox: J.D. Martinez helps Xander Bogaerts find his rhythm

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaert finds his rhythm.

As disheartening as it was to watch the Boston Red Sox get swept in the Bronx over the weekend, one positive takeaway from Sunday’s loss to the New York Yankees was that Xander Bogaerts appears to have broken out of his early-season funk.

Bogaerts sputtered out of the gate, going 7-for-29 (.241) through the first nine games of the season. That included only two extra-base hits, a category he ranked second in the league in last season.

A hamstring injury that limited him at the end of summer camp might have been a factor in his slow start. Bogaerts also had a few bumps and bruises from a diving defensive play against the Mets last week. Even when he was deemed healthy enough to be in the lineup, the star shortstop had yet to feel comfortable at the plate.

That narrative shifted drastically over the weekend as Bogaerts’ bat awakened from its slumber. He fueled the offense Sunday night by going 4-for-4 with a double and two home runs. Finally, Bogaerts was looking like himself again at the plate and he credits the advice of teammate J.D. Martinez for helping him find his swing again, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

"“I kind of tried explaining to them that I was feeling like I was stuck at the plate. I didn’t feel like I had much rhythm. I just felt kind of weak at the plate,” Bogaerts said. “J.D. talked to me about maybe just moving a little bit, get some type of movement going, some type of rhythm. I did it yesterday and I continued with it today. And it paid off.”"

You could see it in his first trip to the plate as Bogaerts gets his bat moving as the pitcher releases the ball. We’re not talking Gary Sheffield levels of hyperactive movement, but enough to generate some rhythm ahead of the swing.

The result was a two-run shot to the opposite field that put the Red Sox on the board.  The vast majority of his home runs were hit to left field last season and the pull-heavy approach served him well when he took aim at the towering green wall at Fenway Park. The short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium is far more inviting and Bogaerts took advantage with a rare opposite field homer.

The rivals exchanged blows in a back-and-forth affair that was locked in a tie when Bogaerts stepped to the plate in the fifth inning. A mammoth shot to left center field put Boston back on top.

The second home run of the day for Bogaerts traveled 437 feet, tied for the second-longest batted ball of his career, per Baseball Savant. The 105.9 mph exit velocity was well above the 90.6 mph he averaged over the previous two seasons.

Bogaerts now has eight career multi-home run games, six of which have come since the beginning of last season.

Unfortunately, the heroics of Bogaerts weren’t enough to overcome Boston’s abysmal pitching staff. The scorching hot bat of Aaron Judge obliterated a hanging curveball from Matt Barnes in the bottom of the eighth to send the Red Sox to their third straight loss.

Bogaerts still managed to find a silver lining to the loss though. While he was disappointed with the outcome, he admitted that he was finally having fun on the field. A four-hit day will certainly influence that perspective but Bogaerts was encouraged by his team showing some fight.

It’s easy to get discouraged when your starting rotation is bleeding runs and the bullpen can’t manage to hold a lead on the rare occasions that Boston’s bats strike first. Many are ready to write off this year as a lost season but it’s clear that Bogaerts isn’t ready to give up.