Red Sox: Kyle Schwarber snaps slump with clutch double

Kyle Schwarber’s clutch hit gave the Boston Red Sox a late lead

The slumping Kyle Schwarber started the game on the Boston Red Sox bench but by the end of the night, he emerged as a triumphant hero.

The Red Sox entered the top of the eighth inning knotted at two with the Seattle Mariners. Xander Bogaerts tripled to deep right to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. A pair of walks sandwiched between a ground out loaded the bases with only one out. Rafael Devers and Travis Shaw both fell behind in the count 0-2 before taking four consecutive balls to earn their free passes.

That brought Schwarber to the plate to pinch-hit for catcher Kevin Plawecki. The All-Star slugger was mired in an 0-for-16 slump as he stepped into the box. He also had a costly error from the previous night to atone for.

Redemption was sweet for Schwarber, who battled his way to a full count before shooting a double into the gap in right center to clear the bases. The Mariners had a play at the plate but catcher Cal Raleigh wasn’t able to hang on to the throw, allowing Shaw to slide in safely and Schwarber to advance to third.

Christian Vazquez replaced Schwarber as a pinch-runner so he wasn’t on base for Alex Verdugo’s two-run homer that broke the game wide open in an eventual 8-4 victory. Schwarber had done his part though, delivering a clutch double that he and his team desperately needed to pull out of their recent funks.

Despite that he had been struggling, Schwarber stressed the importance of trusting his process in the cage and in batting practice, knowing it would eventually lead to him getting back on track. He explained his mindset at the plate during that pinch-hit appearance to reporters after the game, according to MLB.com’s Court Weston.

"“The biggest thing I was thinking about was putting the ball in play,” said Schwarber. “Bases loaded, tie ballgame — put pressure on the defense, that’s kind of the biggest thing there.”"

A hamstring injury delayed his debut following a deadline deal that sent him to Boston but Schwarber made a strong impression upon his arrival. He hit .325/.460/.550 in his first 22 games in a Red Sox uniform prior to falling into a five-game slump that saw him strike out nine times in 16 hit-less at-bats.

Schwarber’s clutch double also delivered in a situation where the powerful Red Sox lineup has surprisingly struggled this season. Boston ranks only 19th in the majors with a .263 batting average with the bases loaded and they are 18th with a .770 OPS.

Boston has split the first two games in Seattle with the rubber match scheduled for a getaway game this afternoon. The latest victory pulled the Red Sox into a virtual tie with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees in the Wild Card race. Both division rivals are a mere percentage point (.559) ahead of Boston (.558). The Red Sox have one more loss but also an extra win.

With 82 wins in the bank, Boston has officially assured themselves of a winning record this season and the heroics of Schwarber secured that status.