Brock Holt celebrates his game-winning home run Tuesday night. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Brock Holt belted a pinch-hit, tie-breaking homer off Tommy Hunter in the eighth inning of last night's Red Sox 2-1 win over the Phillies. It was the utility man's third long-ball of the year and Boston's 168th dinger, which matched its American League-low total from last year. Of course, these Sox still have 41 games left.
Manager Alex Cora admitted Holt wouldn't have been used in that spot in an AL ballpark because Rick Porcello had only thrown 90 pitches and he was cruising so, how does he get prepared for those opportunities?
"Obviously we're in the cage, taking flips, hitting off the T, just trying to stay loose," Holt said. "Being an American League team, we don't have a whole lot of opportunities to come into games in certain situations, so just trying to stay ready, stay more ready than you normally do, kind of go over situations, and know who's coming in the game, and be ready the best you can. That's all all of us try to do, and my name was called, and I was able to do a job tonight."
Was he trying for a homer?
"I just swing, I don't try to hit singles or doubles or homers or whatever," Holt said. "I just swing, and try to hit the ball, and wherever it goes, it goes. I'm thankful that it went out, was able to score and get us on the board there, and Peter came in and did his job, and Craig came in and closed it out."
It was Holt's first career game-winning home run. He's 2-7 as a pinch-hitter this year and a career .250 hitter in that spot.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports