The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Good enough, right?
Yes, but within the much-needed series-tying victory at Yankee Stadium, there was a singular development that stood out to manager Alex Cora.
“Huge,” Cora said of Kristian Campbell’s two hits, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “It’s very important for him. Just contribute. That’s what we’re trying to do. … He’s been working hard with the group.”
Campbell, who began the season as one of the most productive players in baseball, has been skidding for more than a month — slashing .137/.204/.179 with two extra-base hits since the beginning of May. It’s about as bad a stretch as you can possibly have, but the extra work he’s been putting in finally showed itself.
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“It’s not lack of effort,” Cora said. “These guys, they show up at 1 (p.m.) for a game at 7:30 just grinding with him and helping him out. Kind of like teach him, walk him through at-bats and situations and everything that comes with being a big leaguer. Today was a great day for him.”
Campbell played two runs with his two hits before being lifted for a matchup/defensive replacement — David Hamilton — in the eighth inning.
Cora needed some reliability on the infield when trying to protect his lead, so it wasn’t a perfect night for the rookie, but at least a step in the right direction.
“I’m hard on myself sometimes but at the same time, I’ve gotta remember it’s a process,” Campbell said.
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You heard the man, folks. It’s a process.