Everything is going right for the Boston Red Sox as they've now won nine consecutive games.
They beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader, then 7-1 in Game 2. On Thursday, they'll go for the four-game sweep and look to bring their win streak to double digits.
Highlights: Sox beat Twins in Game 2 for ninth straight win
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Here are three observations from the two Red Sox victories, which bring them to 9-3 on the season.
Alex Verdugo is heating up
Verdugo was the Red Sox' hero in both games of the doubleheader. In Game 1, he came through with the game-saving diving catch to seal the victory. In Game 2, he hit the go-ahead two-run single and later crushed a solo home run.
Verdugo started the 2021 season slow, but the 24-year-old reminded us Wednesday he has what it takes to be one of the Red Sox' best all-around players. He was one of the very few bright spots of the 2020 campaign and will be integral to the team's success this season. Plus, the energy he brings to the field day in and day out is refreshing to see.
“For me, I’ve always been a very emotional player," Verdugo said. "Whether it’s good or bad, I like to show some emotions."
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On Wednesday, it was all good.
Alex Cora is putting on a managing clinic
Our own John Tomase wrote Tuesday that manager Alex Cora is the Red Sox MVP so far this season, and it's hard to argue against that point.
Cora has pushed all the right buttons through the first 12 games to help Boston rebound after a tough opening series and string together nine straight wins. On Wednesday, he showed once again why his presence can be a legitamite game-changer.
Before the Twins stepped to the plate for the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 1, Cora put Verdugo in left field and Kiké Hernández in center. That proved to be a potentially game-saving decision as Verdugo robbed Luis Arraez of an opposite-field base hit that could have tied the game at 3-3.
“It’s actually weird, because it’s one of the plays that you think about right before it happens," Verdugo said after the game about his catch. "It just so happens that it was exactly what I thought about because I knew the hitter. I knew that he’s been hitting line drives that way and likes to go oppo."
Verdugo gets the credit for making the play, but make no mistake, Cora has his fingerprints all over that outcome.
Matt Barnes is the most dominant reliever in baseball right now
Yes, the entire league.
Barnes may have been helped out by Verdugo in Game 1, but he still got the job done and earned his second save on the young season. He's been so good to this point that, as Tomase pointed out, he's broken the FIP statistic.
Through his first six appearances, Barnes has a 0.29 WHIP, a sparkling 0.00 ERA and a FIP in the negatives. He has 14 strikeouts and two walks with no hits allowed in seven innings. Those are video game numbers. Better, actually.
There's bound to be regression, but so far Barnes has stepped up as an elite reliever during a season in which some believed he could lose the closer job to newcomer Adam Ottavino. He's a big reason why the Red Sox have been the best team in baseball over the last week.