The Boston Red Sox‘s bench production in Cincinnati over the first three games of the season was definitely a silver lining in the series loss.

MassLive’s Sean McAdam did a worthy job of summing up Boston’s bench contributions at Great American Ball Park over the opening weekend.

“On Friday, Marcelo Mayer contributed a pinch-hit double and came around to score the first run of the game,” McAdam wrote. “Left in the game, he later added a single and scored another run.”

“Saturday, Masataka Yoshida chipped in with a pinch-hit walk. On Sunday, in his first start of the season in left field, he walked two more times in three plate appearances.”

“Behind the plate, Connor Wong, who endured a rough spring, got his first start and came through with a single and later, a sharp double,” McAdam continued. “Those two hits were half as many as he collected throughout the whole Grapefruit League season.”

“Finally, Andruw Monasterio, in his Red Sox debut Sunday, supplied a pinch-hit double off the bench when hitting for Mayer.”

Contributions from Yoshida, Wong, and Monasterio, in particular, suggest that Boston’s bench is comprised of MLB-ready guys who are ready to contribute on a moment’s notice. 

Mayer’s stay-ready mentality was also on full display, although it’s assumed that he’ll be starting the majority of Boston’s games this season at second base.

The Red Sox will begin a new series on Monday against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.

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