Abreu and Contreras Back-to-Back Homers Power Red Sox Past Athletics, Extend Surge

By NationalSportsWeb Editorial Staff

WEST SACRAMENTO – The Boston Red Sox pulled off their most dramatic win of a resurgent season Thursday night, using back-to-back solo home runs from Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras in the eighth inning to erase a one-run deficit and beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4. The victory gave Boston its seventh consecutive series win and pushed the team to 57-51, firmly in control of the American League’s second wild-card berth.

Por que importa

The sequence came with the Red Sox trailing 4-3. Abreu, who had been 2-for-35 in his previous at-bats, led off the eighth against Oakland reliever Luis Medina and drove a 1-0 fastball 399 feet to center field to tie the game. Before Abreu could fully celebrate in the dugout, Contreras – also in a 2-for-17 slump – crushed the very next pitch 414 feet to left field, standing to admire the flight before flipping his bat and pounding his chest as he rounded the bases.

“We’re Boston,” Contreras said after the game. “We’re the Boston Red Sox – that was the first thing that came to my mind. We are able to beat anybody, and we keep believing in each other.”

Contexto

The emotional outburst was a release for a team that has transformed its season. Just five weeks ago, Boston was 14 games under .500 and appeared headed for a lost summer. Since then, the Red Sox have gone 20-3 and 28-8, climbing from the bottom of the division to the edge of the playoff picture.

Key facts

Both Abreu and Contreras acknowledged the grind of the long season. Abreu described struggling with pitch selection and chasing bad balls, but said he focused on “trying to feel comfortable at the plate, looking for good pitches to hit.” Contreras pointed to the team’s approach: “We’re taking good at-bats, we’re walking, we’re getting on base, and that’s really important. We’re not giving away at-bats.”

Interim manager Chad Tracy called the pair of swings “electric” and said the dugout erupted twice in quick succession. “Abreu electrifies the dugout with the first swing, and then while you’re doing congratulations there, you turn your head and you see another one going out,” Tracy said. “Between the two of them, the dugout was as electric as it’s been. It’s huge.”

The Red Sox now head to Dodger Stadium for a marquee three-game series that leads directly into Monday’s trade deadline. For Contreras, the go-ahead homer not only ended a mini-slump but also provides momentum for a series where he is likely to be a focal point. The Red Sox have been active in the rumor mill, and a strong showing against the Dodgers could reinforce the front office’s confidence in the current roster.

Contreras, who has been the team’s emotional leader all season, now has 23 home runs. His 414-foot blast was his longest of the year. The Red Sox, who once seemed destined for a rebuild, are now a team that expects to win every series. “We’re the Boston Red Sox,” Contreras repeated. “That was my first time thinking, like, ‘We’re the Boston Red Sox.’”

Source: MLB.com – “Abreu, Contreras homers show Boston’s unbreakable resolve once again” – https://www.mlb.com/news/wilyer-abreu-willson-contreras-secure-boston-comeback-win