CHICAGO — From outside the closed visitor’s clubhouse at Guaranteed Rate Field, the sounds of applause and wild cheering could be heard minutes after the Red Sox had secured a 6-4 win in 10 innings against the White Sox.
That noise could have been the manifestation of a team exhaling, having escaped the ignominious distinction of losing their third straight game to the worst team in the game.
BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS
STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.
But the sound was more joyous than that, more heartfelt. It was directed at Cam Booser, who had locked down the 10th inning out of the bullpen to record his first major league save.
Booser, whose tale of perseverance has been often told in recent months, waited a very long time for that distinction. It’s a cinch that he won’t soon forget it.
On a bullpen day, the Red Sox had already used six different relievers through the first nine innings, including two frames from closer Kenley Jansen. Then it was time for Booser, who retired the White Sox without difficulty, fanning the first two hitters before getting pinch-hitter Danny Mendick on a flyout for the final out.
At 32, some 13 years after his long, circuitous baseball journey had begun, Save No. 1 was in the books.
“It’s special, man,” conceded Booser. “It will probably sink in a little more tomorrow, on the off-day. The most important thing is we got the ‘dub’ and split the series. The boys battled today. They battled for all 10 (innings).”
Only last Sunday, Booser experienced one of his toughest outings in his brief major league career, knocked around for four runs by the Detroit Tigers in a loss. But he rebounded Thursday with two scoreless frames in a lopsided victory and was ready for what was being asked of him Sunday.
“Today was just trusting what Reese (McGuire, catcher) called, taking the opportunity and trying to make the most of it and compete,” he offered.
That’s what Booser has been doing since making his major league debut in April. Most of those outings came in the sixth or seventh innings, or in games that were already well decided. But this was a chance to pitch in a high-leverage spot, and more to the point, claim his first save.
Manager Alex Cora made a point of celebrating that milestone, and his teammates saluted him.
“It was awesome,” said Booser. “A.C. makes such a cool job of making all of our first moments very special with the team, with the guys. It’s always amazing. It’s cool just to be in this clubhouse, but to have moments like that where you just get that small moment of recognition is really cool.
“But like I said, the most important thing is we got the dub today.”
Booser got the ball as a souvenir, but more importantly, the memory and the recognition from his manager and teammates.
