Red Sox Notes: Champion Celtics Provided ‘Eye-Opening’ Experience
The Red Sox were in for a treat, hosting the NBA champion Celtics at Fenway Park for a pregame ceremony before opening up a three-game series with the Blue Jays on Monday night.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Al Horford, and head coach Joe Mazzulla each threw out a first pitch while Boston’s ownership, coaching staff, and most of its roster stood behind. It didn’t take too long for the home crowd, filled with plenty of Celtics apparel, to express its excitement about seeing the NBA’s top team in attendance along with the franchise’s record-setting 18th Larry O’Brien Trophy.
That feeling went beyond the Fenway Park stands and into the Red Sox dugout throughout the night.
“Every time the crowd would cheer really loud, I would look up and glance and they were showing the trophy so that was pretty awesome,” Jarren Duran said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “You kind of get lost in the fact that we cheer for the Celtics and you don’t see them cheering for you cause they’re doing their job and we’re doing our job. To see them come over here and say hi, know your name, and go, ‘Oh, we’re a big fan.’ Guys are like, ‘Wow, you guys watch us?’… That was kind of eye-opening and really exciting to see how close Boston sports are like that.”
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Unlike the fair-weather fans of the world, the Celtics didn’t flee their seats. Even while watching the Blue Jays take a four-run lead into the eighth inning, the NBA champs didn’t call it a night — and the patience paid off.
“They were in it until the very end,” Duran added.
Duran singled in the ninth inning to plate home Ceddanne Rafaela and secure a thrilling 7-6 walk-off victory and keep Boston in the win column. It was, by far, the most thrilling performance logged this season by the Red Sox, who routinely have refused to tap out.
“It was incredible,” Romy González told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Just with the Celtics being here and celebrating their Finals win. It was just amazing. I’ve never really been a part of something like this and hopefully, we can just keep this thing rolling.”
Here are more notes from Monday night’s Red Sox-Blue Jays game:
— Duran, who finished 3-for-5 at the plate, extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games. He’s batted .419 with 10 RBIs and totaled six stolen bases throughout the red-hot stretch.
— Rafael Devers belted a 443-foot home run in the fourth inning to get Boston on the scoreboard, marking the longest hit by a Red Sox player this season.
— Boston’s won three straight and improved to a season-best seven games over .500 (43-36), sitting third in the American League East ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and the last-place Blue Jays, who have lost seven games in a row. The Red Sox have gone 4-0 against the Blue Jays this season.
“We will keep putting pressure on the opposition,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage.
— Boston has won eight of its last nine games.
— The Red Sox, in search of a fourth straight win, will continue their three-game set with the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.