Red Sox: Mookie Betts’ walk-off hit puts AL East on notice

Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts belted a hit that scored the winning run Wednesday night, sending an ill omen to the rest of the American League East.

If the baseball world didn’t know that the Boston Red Sox were for real, they must also not have known that one must always bet on Betts. Trailing by one run and two outs, the Red Sox needed Mookie Betts to flip the fabled “Casey at the Bat” script.

After working his way into a 3-2 count against St. Louis Cardinals reliever John Brebbia, Betts lined a double against the Green Monster. Almost poetic and prophetic, Meredith Perri of MassLive.com reported that “Betts’ hit soared toward the left-field wall, bouncing off of the American League East standings.”

The hit cashed in two runs, putting the Red Sox 4.5 games ahead of the rest of the pack in the A.L. East division. The win also kept the Red Sox on pace with the A.L.-leading Houston Astros, who are five games ahead but are also 4-6 in the last 10 games. The Red Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 games.

The scorching blast helped Chris Young and Jackie Bradley Jr. come around to score, in an aggressive attempt to take the victory away from the Cardinals. Perri reported Betts saying,

"“It seems like everybody’s saying we’re too aggressive (on the base paths) […] Guys are getting thrown out. But the risk is the reward. You’re going to run into some outs, but you’re going to run into something like today.”"

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Judging by Betts’ words, the youth movement the Red Sox have been experiencing for the last few seasons means ruthless aggression on the base paths and at the plate. Every at-bat is seen as an attempt to score runs and keep the high-octane offense running. According to ESPN, the Red Sox are fifth in the A.L. in total runs scored (578) and tied for second in team batting average (.263). The most telling statistics, however, are when runners are in scoring position. In this scenario, the Red Sox are second in total runs scored (440) and fourth in batting average (.274).

Betts is a major factor in those figures, leading the team in batting average with runners in scoring position (.390). He has hit 55 of his 75 RBI when his team has needed him to cash in his teammates. That number is good enough for seventh in the A.L., with only big-name RBI machines like Nelson Cruz and Albert Pujols in front of him.

All 180 pounds on Betts’ 5-foot-9 frame are pounding the ball when it matters most. Add to the fact that the Red Sox have the second-best team ERA in the A.L. (3.66) and one has the recipe for playoff success. Why shouldn’t Betts and the other Red Sox players be aggressive when they know that their pitching staff has their backs?

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With that hit, Betts continues to prove to the rest of the A.L. that the Red Sox are dangerous at any point in the game. They are never out of a game until the final out has been made. It brings back memories of previous Red Sox teams that won tight games near the end; however, this team seems poised to convert that success into an A.L. East division title and possibly even becoming the first seed in the playoffs. The gauntlet has been thrown down: Either throw the Red Sox out, or they will come back to bite you. It’s not like Betts and the Red Sox are going to let up on the gas pedal any time soon.