BALTIMORE — Ceddanne Rafaela played the role of hero Wednesday, belting a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning to lead the Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the Orioles.
“(Bench coach) Ramon Vázquez actually won the game today,” manager Alex Cora said.
Vázquez, the sole remaining coach from Cora’s 2018 World Series staff, suggested a strategic lineup change Tuesday night.
“On our way to the hotel yesterday, we were talking about the bullpen game and all that, and trying to split up the lefties (in the lineup) and how we’re going to do it, thinking that they were going to bring (in) the righty right away,” Cora said. “He said, ‘Let’s hit Rafaela fifth.’”
It was the first time in his career Rafaela batted fifth.
Cora took Vázquez’s advice despite the 24-year-old center fielder being in the midst of a prolonged slump. Rafaela entered Wednesday batting .188 with a .234 on-base percentage, .258 slugging percentage and .491 OPS in 35 games (137 plate appearances) since the All-Star break.
The strategy proved successful with lefty reliever Keegan Akin on the mound for the ninth inning. Jarren Duran led off with a single, then Rafaela, a right-handed hitter, put Boston ahead three pitches later when he hammered a changeup from Akin 392 feet to left-center field.
“Ceddanne gets to face a lefty and he hits it out of the ballpark, so I tip my hat to him (Vázquez),” Cora said. “It’s total team effort here. It’s not about a one-man show, whatever. Everybody contributes. And that was a fun one.”
Cora didn’t hesitate when Vázquez made the suggestion.
“Let’s go,” Cora said. “I mean, I trust him. We’ve been together since 1996. And he knows me. He knows how I operate.”
Cora and Vázquez are both from Puerto Rico and met through baseball. They were even traded for each other in 2005. Boston sent Vázquez to Cleveland for Cora on July 5 of that season.
“Something I learned in 2008 when Tito (Terry Francona) told me I was going to be a big league manager, you have to delegate, you have to trust the people around you,” Cora said. “And this coaching staff has done an outstanding job.”
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