Monday night at Tropicana Field, the Red Sox extended their hot streak with a 6-2 victory against the Rays (box score). Boston has now won nine of its past 11 games.
The game was almost much closer than final score indicates. The BoSox were nursing a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning when Steven Souza Jr. laid into a David Price changeup with a man on base. He hit a towering shot to left field that looked like a certain two-run home run. Rookie Andrew Benintendi had different ideas.
Holy mackerel what a catch. Benintendi is relatively new to left field -- he's a center fielder by trade, this was his 21st career game in left -- but that play made him look like a seasoned vet out there.
That catch totally changed the game too. If Benintendi doesn't reel it in, suddenly the Red Sox are up 3-2 and everything changes. Bullpen usage for both teams, approaches at the plate, everything. A 3-0 game is very different than a 3-2 game.
Ironically, the Rays cut out that little piece of outfield wall back in the day so Carl Crawford could rob home runs. Benintendi turned it against them.
