Wednesday Links: Cespedes Saves!

For the second straight night, the Red Sox were propelled to a victory on the strength of a Yoenis Cespedes 8th inning home run. However, unlike his tie-breaking home run on Sunday, Cespedes’ blast on Tuesday night came with the Red Sox trailing by a run. Brock Holt set the stage for the Cespedes’ heroics with a lead-off single against Cincinnati reliever Jonathan Broxton. Two batters later, Cespedes dug in against Broxton, and was greeted with a 95 MPH fastball up around his head. Cespedes, however, wasn’t shaken by Broxton’s chin music, and rocketed the very next pitch over the center field wall for a two-run, go-ahead home run. Cespedes’ blast was the offense the Red Sox had been searching for all night, after Mat Latos stymied Boston’s bats over 7 innings of one run baseball. Boston fell to an early disadvantage after Joe Kelly surrendered 2 first inning runs, but he later settled in and tossed 6 solid innings. With a 3-2 advantage in the 9th, Boston turned the game over to Koji Uehara who allowed the tying run to reach base, but ultimately tossed a clean frame to secure the win.

• While the Red Sox have Yoenis Cespedes under contract for another year, it’s never too early to think about locking up the slugging outfielder. Finding a benchmark to start discussions with Cespedes won’t be hard; the league offers a ton of comparable pacts. However, Cespedes’ past comments about free agency make one wonder if the Cuban defector will be open to an extension in Boston. (What might an extension for Yoenis Cespedes look like?)

• Considering Brandon Workman’s recent struggles as both a starter and reliever, the Red Sox decided to give the right-hander some time off from the rotation. Workman was scheduled to pitch Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, however, Boston recalled Anthony Ranaudo to spot start in place of the right-hander. (Red Sox Journal: Ranaudo’s start giving)

• Aside from acquiring 2 major league caliber bats at the trade deadline, the Red Sox also fortified their already strong crop of minor league arms. Boston’s front office turned the two month rentals of Jake Peavy and Andrew Miller, into two quality pitching prospects. Eduardo Rodriguez (acquired for Andrew Miller) offers the higher ceiling than Edwin Escobar (obtained in exchange for Jake Peavy), but both project to be consistent MLB contributors in the future. (Eduardo Rodriguez and Edwin Escobar add to wealth of Red Sox prospects)

• In his second start as a member of the Red Sox, Joe Kelly etched his mark in Boston baseball lure. No, he didn’t set a new single game strikeout record, or master any comparable pitching feat for that matter. Instead, he became the first Red Sox pitcher in 45 years to steal a base. (Joe Kelly steals third base, first Red Sox pitcher since 1969 to swipe a bag)

• Brock Holt’s ability at the plate, and versatility in the field has made him one of the only bright spots of the 2014 team. The super-utility man has done everything the Red Sox have asked of him and passed each test with flying color, including the tall task of stabilizing the top of the Red Sox order. However, since the All-Star break, Holt has struggled to find the consistency that he enjoyed in the first half of the season, which leads some to wonder what’s to become of the Red Sox top spot going forward. (Leading question: Can Brock Holt stabilize Red Sox leadoff spot into 2015?)

• Tweet of the day: JBJ or Papi? Who ya got?