Alex Cora put it in blunt terms Saturday night. The Red Sox need to start putting up crooked numbers more consistently if they want to string wins together.
Boston did so Sunday afternoon in St. Louis, and the hit parade was kicked off by a former Cardinal.
Tyler O’Neill set the tone for the visitors’ 11-run outburst in the series finale by walloping a 439-foot solo home run in the first inning. Nine of O’Neill’s teammates proceeded to join the party, as 10 total Red Sox logged at least one knock in their eight-run triumph.
For O’Neill, the tape-measure shot in a winning effort allowed him to put a bow on a return to his old stomping grounds where he was warmly welcomed back Friday evening. The highlights of the weekend meant a great deal to the veteran outfielder.
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“Pretty special weekend for me and my family,” O’Neill told Alexa Datt, as seen on The Roku Channel. “Circled this one on the calendar for a long time coming. Got to come home here, see the fans and have that reception — that was so awesome and heartwarming for me. Special place in my heart, for sure, so it’s something I’ll remember for a long time.”
— Rafael Devers’ power surge continued via a fifth straight game with a home run. Should the third baseman play Monday in Tampa Bay and put one in the seats, he will break Boston’s franchise record for consecutive games with a round-tripper.
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— O’Neill was one of four Red Sox who collected multiple hits in the finale. Connor Wong, Garrett Cooper and Wilyer Abreu each logged a pair.
— Boston doesn’t boast an overpowering offense, but it hasn’t been a stranger to winning games in lopsided fashion this season. Sunday’s result marked the fifth time the Red Sox won a game by eight-plus runs.
— There was a bright spot on the mound for Boston, too. Nick Pivetta picked up his second quality start of the season, allowing only one run on one hit over six innings with eight strikeouts. The right-hander stymied the Cardinals efficiently, throwing only 72 pitches before giving way to the bullpen.
— Jarren Duran maintained his Major League Baseball lead in triples by looping an RBI three-bagger in the seventh inning.
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