The Boston Red Sox blew out the Toronto Blue Jays 15-1 on Saturday. After pitching seven shutout innings, Lucas Giolito earned his fourth win of the season. However, he gave most of the credit for the win to Boston’s offense, especially Roman Anthony. The rookie outfielder has struggled since Alex Cora called him up to the major leagues. On Saturday, he played a great game.
Anthony entered the game with a batting average of .128. After having so much excitement around him when the Red Sox called him up, Boston’s top prospect fell short of expectations. He took advantage of Toronto’s shaky pitching on Saturday though, going 3-for-6 and scoring two runs in the game.
While talking with reporters after the game, Giolito gave the 21-year-old props for his performance, according to Mass Live’s Chris Costello. In his opinion, Anthony has worked hard to overcome a slow start to his Major League Baseball career.
“He’s probably one of the most mature 21-year-old pro baseball players I’ve ever played with,” Giolito said. “Really good head on his shoulders, very even-keeled. I know up to this point he hasn’t been getting those counting stat results that he’s wanted. But he has been showing a ton of promise, really good at-bats. It’s good to see him do that today.”
After Cora and the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, the pressure on Anthony increased. With the face of Boston’s franchise off the team, fans are searching for a new player to get behind. They hope that the trio of Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer can help lead the team into the future.
While the Red Sox are still under .500, Saturday’s win snapped a six-game losing streak. Cora’s team is only two games out of the last American League Wild Card spot at the halfway point in the season.
With the trade deadline looming, the pressure is on Cora and the front office to keep the team competitive. Devers’ Boston exit wasn’t pretty, but the Red Sox have started to put it behind them. Third baseman Alex Bregman will return to Boston’s lineup soon, hopefully giving them the offensive kick-start they need.
If Anthony can ride the momentum of Saturday’s performance into future games, the future is bright. The rookie is just getting started in MLB. Giolito and others are excited to see just how far Anthony and the rest of the Red Sox’s young stars can take them.
