BOSTON -- As the Red Sox clinched their spot in the ALCS, they rode the back of two players who entered the season wanting to prove their worth.
Kiké Hernandez entered 2021 wanting to prove that he could be an everyday player in the major leagues after his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers typecast him into a utilityman role. Reliever Garrett Whitlock hoped to establish himself as a major leaguer after the Yankees left him off the 40-man roster and Boston selected him in the Rule-5 Draft. On Monday night, both players proved crucial to Boston's walk-off 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays that cemented their spot in the ALCS.