Mookie Betts is the hero of the day. With the Boston Red Sox needing a big hit in their Thursday afternoon game on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers, their reigning All-Star outfielder came through, launching a ball deep into the Wisconsin sun. The home run gave the Red Sox the lead, a position they would hold through the bottom of the inning to prevent the team from slipping to .500 for the year.

Game winning blast

Betts came up to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with a nice advantage to his name. Two Boston runners were already on base - first and second - with nobody out.

On a 2-2 count, Betts swung for the fences on a Neftali Feliz pitch, sending the ball deep past the left fielder and into the stands, giving his team a 4-1 lead.

After hitting the home run, one watching would've thought that this was a World Series game, not a mid-May battle between two relatively unfamiliar opponents. Betts went wild as he rounded first base, pumping his fist emphatically, knowledgeable of his accomplishment for the day, but perhaps failing to see it in context with the rest of the season. Nevertheless, Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel came in for the bottom of the ninth inning and shut the door on the Brewers, preserving the 4-1 victory.

Quieter start to the season

Following last year's American League MVP campaign - which saw him finish just behind Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout for the crown - expectations were high for Betts coming into the season. He started off a bit slower than expected, to the disappointment of fantasy baseball owners especially.

He has been turning it on lately, though, after a move to the lead-off spot in the batting order. The Red Sox outfielder is now ninth in the American League with a .311 batting average and .924 OPS.

The same can be said for Betts' team as a whole. They are currently 18-16 this season, good for third in the AL East. They have been forced to deal with a string of injuries and even a flu bug that rampaged through the clubhouse.

Additionally, replacing the production of retired superstar David Ortiz has been an impossible venture. Fits and starts have defined the team's start as the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees have jumped out in front of them in the standings. The season is still relatively young, however, and the Boston Red Sox can use any victory as a springboard for a run up the standings and into a playoff picture position.
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