How Jose Iglesias played a role in Red Sox’ walk-off win from dugout originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Turns out Jose Iglesias is doing more than just manning the Boston Red Sox‘ home run laundry cart this postseason.
The veteran infielder isn’t on the Red Sox’ playoff roster after signing with Boston following the Aug. 31 deadline for adding postseason-eligible players. But Iglesias still is allowed in the dugout, where he’s doing all he can to help the team without playing.
How, you ask? Let Christian Arroyo explain.
Arroyo delivered a clutch, ninth-inning sacrifice bunt Monday night in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, advancing Christian Vazquez to second base and setting the stage for Kike Hernandez’s walk-off sacrifice fly that advanced Boston to the AL Championship Series.
Tomase: Rays’ champagne plans lit a fire under Red Sox
But Arroyo said he may not have gotten that bunt down if it wasn’t for Iglesias providing some coaching during the Red Sox’ Game 2 win in Tampa.
“The other day in Tampa … why I did this I have no idea … when I went to bunt with two outs and I popped out, the next inning, Iggy sat down with me and said, ‘Hey, when you bunt, you move your back foot a lot,’ ” Arroyo told WEEI’s Will Flemming. “So I watched the video and we watched over it together. This is during the game. Granted we were winning 14-6 or 11-6 or something. We had a pretty commanding lead.
“I said, ‘What should I do?’ He goes, ‘Well, I have always done this. Maybe not move your back foot so much.’ I’m not going to lie, this is the honest-to-God truth, that at-bat I said, ‘Do not move your back foot at all. Stay in line. Get the bunt down and do what you got to do.’ As soon as I put the bunt down the only person I could think of was Jose Iglesias.”
Iglesias has dropped down 24 sacrifice bunts over his 10-year major league career, so he knows what he’s talking about. And by giving Arroyo a valuable pointer, he indirectly helped the Red Sox plate the ALDS-clinching run with some successful small ball in the ninth inning.
The Red Sox had to do a lot of things right to upset the loaded Rays, but the entire team was up to the challenge — including one player who didn’t even step on the field all series.