When Trevor Story returned from the injured list after a 38-game absence last weekend, the Red Sox second baseman didn’t want to give away any secrets.
Asked about the adjustments he made at the plate during his minor league rehab stint, he wasn’t interested in divulging details.
“I keep those to me,” Story said. “I’d rather not say.”
Whatever those adjustments are, they’re certainly working.
Story has returned with a vengeance and a hot streak in the week since coming back, and on Sunday, he had one of his best all-around games of the season. The second baseman hit a three-run homer and later added a terrific web gem defensively as he led the Red Sox to a sweep of the Rangers with a 5-2 victory at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox (67-68) won their fifth consecutive game as they head south for a three-game series with the Rays, but remain far out of the playoff race. They’re 7 1/2 games back of the Blue Jays for the third Wild Card spot with 27 games left.
As the Red Sox play out the final month of the season, no one could use a stronger finish than Story.
It’s been a weird season for Story, who had an uneven start to the season. He joined the team late in spring training after signing a six-year, $140 million deal, then was interrupted due to the birth of his first child and getting sick. After a slow first month, then came the hot streak. Then, a hand injury led to him missing a month and a half.
But it looks like he’s finding his stride again.
Down 2-0 in the first inning, the Red Sox rallied quickly against Rangers starter Dane Dunning. Tommy Pham and Alex Verdugo singled and Xander Bogaerts continued his own tear with an RBI ground-rule double before Story’s bat put them ahead for good. Facing an 0-1 count, Story crushed a sinker to the Monster seats – a three-run blast for his 16th home run of the season and first since July 8.
Story added two more hits – including a hustle double to lead off the fifth – as he recorded his third three-hit game in seven games since returning from the injured list. He’s now batting .481 with a 1.241 OPS in that span.
Story – who manager Alex Cora has regarded as the best defensive second baseman in baseball earlier this year – added to his highlight reel in the sixth inning, when Jonah Heim hit a sharp liner to short right field, where Story, positioned in a shift, skied high in the air to catch it.
Josh Winckowski struggled in the first, when he issued a four-pitch walk to Marcus Semien to start off the game before giving up a pair of runs, but bounced back to complete four innings before the bullpen did the rest.
Triston Casas went 1-for-4 in his major league debut, earning his first career hit in the fifth on an infield single that Rangers shortstop Corey Seager couldn’t field cleanly.
