Sean McAdam: How big weekend energy at Fenway has lifted Red Sox to three Friday night walkoff wins

BOSTON — This season, the Red Sox have had four walk-off wins at Fenway Park. Three of them have taken place on Friday nights.

Coincidence? Probably not.

For several seasons, Alex Cora has made mention of how, especially in summer, there’s a noticeably different atmosphere in the ballpark on Friday nights. The crowd is at once relaxed and energized. A party vibe is palpable. Every base hit, every scoring chance garners a louder-than-usual reaction from the fans.

The players feel it and feed off it.

It was evident Friday night as the Red Sox began a homestand with a game against Houston Astros. The boos were louder than usual for Jose Altuve, and louder still for prodigal Astro Carlos Correa, who returned to the team following a three and a half-year exile in Minnesota.

When the Red Sox, locked in a taut pitcher’s duel most of the night, rallied to tie the game at 1-1 in the seventh, the ballpark was deafening. And when Roman Anthony hit a booming single to straightaway center to score the winning run in the home half of the 10th, Fenway sounded like a post-season game had been transplanted from October.

“Today was tremendous,” said Alex Cora. “It was loud. They were into every pitch. It’s Aug. 1 and they know it. Some of them love their team, others like their team. But at the end of the day, this is what it’s all about — winning games and making this place uncomfortable. They accomplished that tonight.

“A few years ago, it was the yellow uniforms (worn on Fridays); now, it’s the green ones. Whatever it is, just make it fun again here, you know, make it a madhouse. The louder, the better, and I tip my hat to them because that was a fun atmosphere.”

The intensity seek to have peaked in the ninth, when Wilyer Abreu came to the plate with two on and two out, matched against lefty closer Josh Hader. Abreu twice lashed balls down the right field line that were foul by inches, upping the anticipation before finally succumbing to a Hader fastball and stranding two.

But after holding the Astros scoreless in the top of the 10th, the Red Sox started again, with a fielder’s choice by Ceddanne Rafaela giving the Sox runners at the corners with no out.

Into that atmosphere stepped Anthony, the team’s unflappable 21-year-old, who exudes a calm that few rookies possess. After falling behind 0-and-2, he worked it back to even, then, after a foul, drilled a 96 mph four-seamer from Houston reliever Bennett Sousa and drove it to the warning track in center, scoring Abreu with the game-winner.

The celebratory noise sounded like a jet engine readying for takeoff.

“Credit to the fans,” said Anthony. “Whether it’s a Monday night, Tuesday night, regardless of who we’re playing. It feels like every night, they just continue to show up and they’re there through the entirety of the game, regardless of how we’re playing. It just goes to show the type of fan base we have here. It’s amazing.

“But you can definitely feel it (more) tonight — over the weekend, big team…It’s fun, so fun.”

“I definitely notice a difference (on Friday nights),” confirmed Rob Refsndyer. “The crowd was great tonight. We’ve noticed the past couple of Fridays here (the famous Ceddanne Rafaela walkoff homer against Tampa was also on a Friday).”

Refsnyder has played for six different franchises in his 10-year career and is careful to let younger players in the clubhouse that the Fenway environment isn’t found everywhere.

“It’s a special place,” said Refsnyder. “Just a general, the fans are starting to get into it more. And yeah, we definitely have seen the uptick on Friday nights. We’re moving up in the wild card standings and fans want to come out and see the young guys like Roman. But yeah, Friday’s another level.”

In the dugout, that registers. It provides energy, and at times, can make it difficult for players to communicate.

“I’ve noticed it, watching the infielders having the Pitch-Com a little closer to their ears,” he said with a chuckle, ‘which is pretty cool, especially when it’s your home ballpark. I remember when I was younger, coming here as a visitor, it could be intimidating. To see Fenway getting louder and louder is very cool. You know how special this place is when it gets really loud for playoff baseball.”

Or even, just an August night.

Cora said as far back as spring training that the Red Sox wanted to re-establish a home field advantage again, and that’s been achieved. The win Friday was gave them 10 wins at Fenway in their last 11 games and 19 of the last 24.

“Little by little, they’re catching up to what’s going on here,” said Cora of the crowds. “Even the music was louder. It’s fun. This place like that is fun for us and it’s tough for the opposition.”

Read the original article on MassLive.

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Sean McAdam: How big weekend energy at Fenway has lifted Red Sox to three Friday night walkoff wins

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