Alex Cora went against the grain Sunday afternoon in Texas.
The Red Sox were clinging to a one-run lead in the sixth inning when the Rangers called Walter Pennington from the bullpen with no outs and two runners on. With a southpaw now on the mound for Texas, conventional knowledge told Cora to summon a right-handed bat to replace the left-handed Wilyer Abreu.
But Cora chose to manage with feel for the game. Boston's skipper, knowing Abreu was playing with his heart on his sleeve after losing his grandmother Saturday night, decided to keep the 25-year-old at the dish. The decision paid off and then some, as Abreu walloped a three-run home run that gave the visitors breathing room in their eventual 7-2 win.
An emotional Abreu appreciated Cora not taking the bat out of his hands at such an important juncture of the contest.
"Grateful," Abreau told reporters, per MLB.com. "Grateful for the confidence that he had in me for that at-bat and with everything that happened. He knew what happened before the (at-bat), so for him to have the confidence in me to be able to deliver was huge."
The clutch three-run blast was Abreu's second round-tripper of the finale. The second-year outfielder, who was moved to tears at various points of the game, also smacked a game-tying home run in the fourth inning.
Red Sox teammates were moved by Abreu's game-changing performance under such difficult circumstances. Boston now will try to carry the momentum in Monday night's series opener against the Royals in Kansas City.
