TORONTO — Mike Carp's first home run of the season on Tuesday in a 9-7 loss to Toronto came with an old bat, one of his last from 2011, the best season of his pro career. He was waiting on a new shipment of bats that's designed more closely to the way his bats were then.
TORONTO — Mike Carp's first home run of the season on Tuesday in a 9-7 loss to Toronto came with an old bat, one of his last from 2011, the best season of his pro career. He was waiting on a new shipment of bats that's designed more closely to the way his bats were then.
The run Carp is on now, though, feels even better than the one he had a season ago. He's hitting .458 (11-for-24) with eight extra-base hits.
"In 2011 I felt like I got a hit every day between Triple-A and the big leagues," Carp said. "It was a good run. But not like this. Not when playing time is sporadic, where you’re getting two at-bats or pinch-hitting. It’s definitely something to hold on and try to keep going."
Carp, a left-handed batter, was pinch hit for in his next at-bat with a lefty pitcher on the mound, and Jonny Gomes came through with his first homer of the season.
"Was just a matter of time," Gomes said.
Red Sox manager John Farrell acknowledged on Tuesday that the sixth-hole has mostly "become a match-up situation" — or in other words, a platoon situation. Carp plays against righties, Gomes against lefties.
Gomes hasn't fared quite as well this season, with a .195 average, but he does have a .353 on-base percentage. He said accepting his role hasn't been difficult.
"That's where a lot of success comes from, deep bench," Gomes said. "Accepting your role and not trying to play out of it. ... I've done it before. Been aroung long enough, people kind of get hung up on the numbers, but when the at-bats are low, they come and go."
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