The Boston Red Sox needed an all-around effort Friday night to snap their five-game losing streak when they faced the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
They got it and secured a 5-1 victory to improve to 28-31 on the season.
A key moment in the win came in the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Red Sox leading 3-1. The Braves got the potential tying run to first base with two outs. Matt Olson hit a grounder to Trevor Story, and the shortstop made a diving stop. Story’s throw to first was a bit off the mark and appeared to pull Abraham Toro off the bag. Toro got up and attempted to throw Luke Williams out at home, but the throw was errant, allowing the run to score. Boston manager Alex Cora challenged the call on the field, and the call was overturned. Olson was called out at first, ending the inning and the Braves’ bid to close the gap on the scoreboard.
“That play he made, it was one of those, I hate to say it, but it was like, here we go again, right?” Cora told reporters in Atlanta. “And then we got the call, and it was like, okay, finally we got a break.”
Toro was pleasantly surprised the call was overturned.
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“I thought I had it. I thought I was on it, and then they called it safe,” Toro told reporters in the visitors’ clubhouse at Truist Park. “When it got overturned, I was like, ‘Thank God.’ When they showed the replay, it was close, so sometimes it’s hard to overturn, but I’m glad they did.”
The first baseman not only got it done defensively for the Red Sox, but Toro also went 3-for-4 from the dish with an RBI double.
“Oh, it feels great,” Toro said of being able to contribute offensively for Boston. “For me, it was just trying to get on base and then the last at-bat, trying to drive the run in. It’s a good feeling when you can execute.”
Before Story made the diving play to prevent the Braves’ run, the struggling veteran launched a two-run 431 feet to left to give Boston a 2-1 lead.
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“It just felt good to get one kind of in that fashion,” Story told reporters in Atlanta after the win. “It’s been a tough month for sure. Feels like six months, but I really felt better in the last few games.
“The last series, there won’t be numbers to show for it, but just how I’m feeling in the box, and the competition in with any at-bats I feel really good about. And even tonight on the other (at-bats). But, yeah, feeling better and just trying to keep it as simple as that and try to create some momentum.”
More Red Sox
Here are more notes from Friday’s Red Sox-Braves game:
— Rafael Devers continued his torrid month at the plate with a two-run RBI single in the top of the ninth to extend the Red Sox’s lead to 5-1. Devers now has 33 RBI in May, one shy of the career-high he scored in July 2019.
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— Marcelo Mayer made an outstanding grab along the third base line to end the eighth inning. Despite his solid defense in the field, the Red Sox’s top prospect went 0-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts.
“Great play,” Cora said. “… I think defense is not the problem. This kid, he gets it. He doesn’t panic. … He’s a big leaguer. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
— Boston improved to 52-46 overall against Atlanta, including 10-5 at Truist Park since it opened in 2017. The Red Sox improved to 10-22 when their opponents score first and 22-10 when scoring four or more runs.
— The Red Sox continue their three-game series with the Braves at Truist Park on Saturday. NESN will have full coverage starting one hour before first pitch — which is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.
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