CHICAGO -- It was a long day for Ryan Kalish on Sunday. Long, but rewarding.
It began with a 12:30 a.m. phone call telling him that he was being called up to the Red Sox to replace the injured Ryan Sweeney. It continued with a morning flight and a trip directly from the airport to Wrigley Field, where he learned he'd be in the lineup and in a major league game for the first time since the end of the 2010 season.
And it continued with a crucial run-scoring single in the seventh to put the Red Sox ahead for good, before ending with a daring run scored from third on a suicide squeeze by Daniel Nava.
Facing lefty James Russell with two on and no out in a 3-3 game, Kalish first expected manager Bobby Valentine to pinch-hit for him.
"I saw a lot of action (near the dugout)," said Kalish, "but I forgot it was the National League and he was getting ready to pinch-hit for the pitcher (who was due up next). I'm glad he stuck with me."
Then, it was time to deliver.
"Got a chance in a big situation," said Kalish. "I kind of got over-anxious at first. I just stepped out (of the box) and told myself that this is baseball and I've been here before. It's a new field and it's bigger circumstances. (But) the luck of baseball helped me out."
Boston Red Sox
Kalish confessed that he had some return-to-the-majors butterflies.
"I had them," he said. "I always have them, everyday. Obviously, today, it was a little bigger. But they'll calm down and I can get into playing baseball."