Red Sox praise Justin Slaten: Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten didn’t feature for long in Sunday’s 5-4 win over the Angels, but his impact was immense in the eyes of manager Alex Cora and closer Kenley Jansen.
Slaten, 26, was called out of the bullpen to replace starter Brayan Bello in the sixth inning with one out and runners at first and third. With Boston clinging to a 3-2 lead, Slaten did his job in one pitch: His 90 mph cutter inducted an inning-ending double-play. Slaten ended up pitching 2.2 innings, allowing one run.
Afterward, Cora cited Slaten’s double-play as a turning point.