{"id":56375,"date":"2025-05-20T10:48:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T10:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=56375"},"modified":"2025-05-20T10:48:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T10:48:37","slug":"red-sox-veteran-wins-10-pitch-at-bat-with-huge-k-vs-one-of-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=56375","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox veteran wins 10-pitch at-bat with \u2018huge\u2019 K vs. \u2018one of the best\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BOSTON \u2014 Red Sox 37-year-old lefty reliever Justin Wilson and Mets superstar Francisco Lindor aren\u2019t strangers.<\/p>\n

Their fifth-inning matchup Monday marked the 14th time that they have faced each other and it ended up being a 10-pitch battle.<\/p>\n

Wilson replaced starter Hunter Dobbins with runners at the corners and two outs in the fifth inning. He got Lindor, a four-time All-Star, to strike out swinging on an 87.1 mph slider. The Red Sox won 3-1 over the Mets here at Fenway Park.<\/p>\n

“\u200aHe\u2019s come up in a lot of situations like that,” said bench coach Ram\u00f3n V\u00e1zquez, who filled in for manager Alex Cora.<\/p>\n

Cora skipped the game to celebrate his daughter\u2019s graduation from Boston College.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tough situation,\u201d V\u00e1zquez added. \u201cAnd he came through. He battled with one of the best in the game and came through for us. So that is huge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindor is now 2-for-10 with two singles, four walks and seven strikeouts against Wilson.<\/p>\n

\u200a\u201cHe was fouling everything off,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cLuckily got the swing-and-miss pitch at the end. Fairly competitive at-bat on both ends … A lot of sliders.”<\/p>\n

Wilson fell behind 2-1 and 3-2 in the count. Of the 10 pitches, he threw eight sliders and two fastballs. The final six pitches were all sliders and Lindor fouled off four of them.<\/p>\n

Lindor, a switch-hitter, entered Monday batting .301 with a .376 on-base percentage, .517 slugging percentage and .893 OPS in 165 plate appearances as a left-handed hitter against right-handed pitchers. He entered with a .227\/.255\/.318\/.574 line in 47 plate appearances as a right-handed hitter vs. left-handed pitchers.<\/p>\n

Dobbins was at just 66 pitches. But V\u00e1zquez liked the idea of bringing in the left-handed Wilson to make Lindor hit right-handed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then the lefties coming right after, we thought it was the right situation, the right moment for him to come in,” V\u00e1zquez said.<\/p>\n

Two of the next three batters in the Mets lineup were left-handed hitters (Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo). And so Wilson stayed in the game for the sixth inning.<\/p>\n

He gave up a single to Soto and walked Pete Alonso. But the southpaw then got Nimmo to ground into a 5-6-3 double play.<\/p>\n

Greg Weissert replaced Wilson with two outs and retired Mark Vientos on a flyout to right field.<\/p>\n

Wilson was the first free agent Boston signed this past offseason. They inked him to a one-year, $2.25 million contract Nov. 14. The deal also includes another $750,000 available in performance bonuses.<\/p>\n

He has posted a 2.35 ERA (15 \u2153 innings, four earned runs) in 19 outings.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust doing my job, man,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cPitch when your name\u2019s called. I think that\u2019s how we all feel down there. Wanna pick each other up, go out there and be aggressive in the strike zone and trust our stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

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