BOSTON – On a Monday night in Cleveland in June, Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona kissed the barrel of Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s bat for good luck before the first baseman strode to the plate and hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly.
“You better believe it. Do whatever it takes,” said Francona, who then spent the next three weeks looking for all the luck the smooch was supposed to deliver.
Advertisement
Hunter Greene : Pitcher looked ‘strong’ in simulated action on injury comeback trail for Reds
Encarnacion-Strand’s go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning Wednesday at Fenway Park.
Turned out to be closer to a kiss of death for CES’ bat by the time the Reds got to Boston this week – the young slugger going 8-for-51 (.157) with one extra-base hit and a .363 OPS since then.
Until the seventh inning of the final game of the series Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
That’s when Encarnacion-Strand drove a 2-2 pitch over the Green Monster seats in left-center and onto Lansdowne Street to turn a three-run deficit into a Reds lead with a sudden impact that seemed to open the floodgates in an 8-4 victory that avoided a sweep by the Red Sox as the Reds head into on off day before another tough series in Philadelphia.
Advertisement
The Reds scored again in the seventh on a TJ Friedl double and two-out single by Elly De La Cruz.
And CES added a single during a three-run Reds eighth helped by a lot of sloppy Red Sox play.
As for that luck Francona thought he provided last month, it landed at Fenway Park even before Encarnacion-Strand’s home run landed outside the ballpark, considering CES wasn’t even supposed to be playing.
He was a last-minute addition to the lineup when Spencer Steer was scratched because of a bruised right hand suffered when hit by a pitch earlier in the day as the Reds and Red Sox completed the game that was suspended by rain the night before.
Advertisement
Steer’s status looked like a day-to-day proposition as the Reds headed to Philadelphia.
What’s certain is that Francona’s lips haven’t been near anyone’s bats since that day in Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the victory meant the Reds remain the only team in the majors this year that hasn’t been swept in a series.
Nick Martinez (6-8), who took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in his previous start five days earlier, pitched two outs deep into the seventh this time to get the win, albeit with more traffic to navigate. He allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings on nine hits, including a Wilyer Abreu home run.
Advertisement
He didn’t walk a batter.
Earlier in the day, the Reds lost 5-3 in the suspended game.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Christian Encarnacion-Strand powers Cincinnati Reds as late lineup add