Now if only the team can put together a winning streak to take advantage of Duvall's born again love of the long ball.
The Red Sox have been in a recent habit of win one, lose one, or win two, lose two. This yo-yo of success (or lack thereof) has not been enough to sink Boston's playoff hopes. With the team 4.5 games back of the Houston Astros for the final playoff spot, the time to get hot is now.
A huge opportunity awaits with the Houston Astros coming to town for a three-game set. And with Duvall raking, Boston (69-62) will be in a good spot to make some noise.
Duvall and his hot, hot week
Signs of Duvall shaking off the rust from April's wrist injury, which caused him to miss two months, began appearing in early August. An occasional home run or laser shot gave fans hope that the wrecker of baseballs would return.
In the last 10 games, Duvall has done exactly that.
Beginning with a 1-4 performance in a 10-7 loss to the Washington Nationals on August 17, Duvall has hit safely in 9 of 10 games. During this stretch, he is 17-43 (.395) at the plate, swatting five home runs and driving in 12. Duvall has hit five doubles and seven multi-hit performances over these ten games.
There was also a span where Duvall hit a home run in three straight games last week against the Astros.
Duvall extended his hitting streak to seven games in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 2-4 with a home run and a double. This streak has seen Duvall hit 14-29 (.483), with all the home runs and RBIs from the last ten games occur during this time.
It's a pleasure to see Duvall finding the stroke that powered him to start the 2023 season. Out of the gate, Duvall was hitting .455 in the season's first eight games. He had four home runs, 14 RBI, and was representing with a 1.544 OPS.
Hitting 40 home runs is out of the question but Duvall has a chance to finish with a respectable season (and leaving some thoughts of "what could have been"). Overall, he is hitting .271 with 16 HR, 47 RBI, and putting up a .904 OPS.
If Boston is going to make this final push, Duvall will need to keep it up. And get more help in the process.
Boston Red Sox: Week ahead
Duvall and the Red Sox offense has been decent as of late, more so in a 17-run outburst last Thursday against the Astros.
Injuries to Pablo Reyes (who left Saturday's game with elbow discomfort but returned Sunday) and Jarren Duran has manager Alex Cora moving things around for Boston; And Rafael Devers missed Sunday's game due to wrist soreness after being hit by a pitch on Saturday.
Plenty of firepower remains. Wilyer Abreu made his debut and had a four-hit game against the Astros, including a home run. Justin Turner and Triston Casas are delivering the goods and Alex Verdugo seems to be heating up again, delivering a leadoff home run in three straight games.
Pitching has been a little spotty but not far off from delivering top-notch efforts (some bullpen hiccups and the "one bad inning effect" have not been helpful).
Three games against the Astros provide ample opportunity for the Red Sox to make their move this upcoming week. They have already proven they can more than hang with the club and taking the series is a must.
Then, the Red Sox hit the road for six games, beginning with a weekend series in Kansas City. Boston took three of four from the Royals earlier in August but this is the type of series where Boston has fallen asleep at times in '23. Postseason aspirations could very well rest on what they do there.
A 5-1 week, or even 4-2, is instrumental to Boston's playoffs chances. Anything less, well, doom could be spelled and the window to the postseason will move one step closer to being slammed shut.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Comments