Where would the Red Sox be without Willson Contreras?
Boston’s new slugger looked right at home in St. Louis, playing a major role in the offense erupting for 16 runs over the final two games of the series.
Contreras went 4-for-5 on Sunday, collecting three singles, a home run, and three RBI, to power the Red Sox to a 9-3 win over the Cardinals. With the victory, Boston improved to 6-9 and, more importantly, secured back-to-back series wins.
After going hitless in the opener, despite receiving a standing ovation from Cardinals fans, Contreras caught fire over the final two games of the series.
On Sunday, he wasted no time making an impact. With two outs in the first inning, Contreras launched a 94.6 mph sinker from Andre Pallante 411 feet to center field for a two-run homer, his third of the season.
“I mean, there’s a reason we got him, right?” Alex Cora told reporters postgame. “We needed a right-handed bat, and we got more than that. We got a guy that is playing great defense at first base, he controls the strike zone, he’s becoming a leader in the clubhouse. It’s fun to have him around.”
Contreras is now tied with Wilyer Abreu for the team lead in home runs. He’s accounted for three of Boston’s four homers over the last nine games, with Marcelo Mayer providing the other.
The Red Sox can’t rely solely on Contreras for power, though; others in the lineup will need to step up and start driving the ball out of the park.
“I feel OK,” Contreras said to NESN’s Jahmai Webster when asked how he feels at the plate. “When you believe in yourself and you know what you’re capable of doing … having that confidence in yourself, that trust in yourself, I think it’s the basis of everything.”
Boston broke the game open in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Jarren Duran ripped an 87.7 mph slider left over the outer half into left-center for a bases-clearing double, giving the Red Sox a 6-1 lead. Contreras followed with an RBI single to extend it to 7-1.
With much of the attention on Contreras, Duran’s double marked just his
