BOSTON — Right-handed hitting slugger Tyler O’Neill is second on the Red Sox in homers (20), slugging percentage (.536) and OPS (.890).
But manager Alex Cora decided to pinch hit for him behind 7-6 in the eighth inning Friday. It paid off and the Red Sox won 9-7 over the Yankees here at Fenway Park.
Cora had rookie left-handed hitter Wilyer Abreu hit for O’Neill against Yankees right-handed closer Clay Holmes.
Abreu’s RBI double tied it 7-7. Masataka Yoshida followed with a go-ahead two-run single.
Cora pointed to Holmes’ numbers against right-handed hitters. Holmes has held righties to a .222 batting average while left-handed hitters have batted .295 against him.
“I think it’s the guy that’s on the mound. He’s really good against righties and we felt like that was the right matchup,” Cora said about his decision to use Abreu. “Obviously, I bet inside he (O’Neill) is disappointed. But he’s a team player and he understands what we’re trying to accomplish here.”
O’Neill has 11 homers, a .305 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage against righties.
“He was on the first step right there, cheering for his teammate and that was awesome,” Cora said.
Abreu has an .853 OPS against righties.
“It means a lot to me that Alex had the confidence to give me that opportunity,” Abreu said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “Obviously we know how good he (O’Neill) is.”
Abreu said O’Neill is capable of doing the same thing he did.
“But in this case, Alex gave me the opportunity and I was able to come through and that makes me very happy,” Abreu said.
Abreu is 3-for-12 with two doubles, two RBIs, two walks and seven strikeouts as a pinch hitter this season.
“You have to get ready,” Abreu said. “You have to stay warm. You have to take some swings so you’re ready when that opportunity comes up.”
