The Boston Red Sox and fans have been on an emotional rollercoaster over the last many weeks. An historic 30-5 winning stretch in July and into August has been closely followed by a five-game losing skid after the trade deadline.
The Red Sox's losing spell began on August 8, fresh off another nine-game winning streak. The recent wins made it seem all the more wild that some Red Sox fans in attendance at Fenway Park booed Willson Contreras for not full-speed running out a ground ball in the eighth inning.
Contreras has undobtedly been the Sox's MVP this season and always plays hard. While it was uncharacteristic of him to jog in the moment, he would've been out even if he sprinted. His one ground ball single wouldn't have changed the game as the offense slumped all around.
Contreras took the boos like a champ, saying he wasn't affected by them and that fans have the right to call out whoever they want. He also said that something has been bothering his leg, which is why he didn't run out the ground ball at 100 percent effort.
Willson Contreras reveals nagging leg issue that caused him to jog out ground ball, after which Red Sox fans booed him
An injury to Contreras would be disastrous for the Red Sox, who have needed him at his best all season long — he's been the club's best hitter this year, to the tune of a .280/.390/.529 slash line and a career-high-tying 24 home runs over 110 games. Unfortunately, a potential unspecified leg injury is far from the only thing Contreras has been dealing with lately.
The first baseman has been hit by an American League-leading 21 pitches this year, which has to have led to some pain. One of those hits knocked Contreras in the head and took him out of games for two days. Then, he fell sick and missed time due to his illness. He hasn't had it easy over the last many days and Sox fans didn't give him the grace he's earned by dominating this season.
The Red Sox are entering a pivotal stretch in the season when every game counts more than ever. Their quest for good Wild Card standing won't be easy, even after their legendary winning stretch. Contreras gave no indication that he plans on taking an injured list stint. He's committed to playing through his issues, which further shows just how misplaced and unnecessary the August 8 boos from Red Sox fans were.
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