Ceddanne Rafaela Fulfilled Red Sox ‘Dream’ With Clutch Homer

Ceddanne Rafaela was one of the Red Sox’s top prospects entering the the last couple seasons and had fans wondering how he could make an impact at the major league level, and after Friday, they didn’t have to wonder anymore.

Boston faced insurmountable odds after New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes forced two outs and seemed to earn the save. However, Dominic Smith earned a single, which put Masataka Yoshida at the plate where he proceeded to hit the game-tying home run. Ceddanne Rafaela helped deliver another big moment for the Red Sox when he smashed a go-ahead two-run home run in the 10th inning. That proved to be the difference to give Alex Cora’s side a memorable 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium.

It was an incredible moment for Yoshida, who had been on a hot streak since the end of June, and it showed the continued offensive development of Rafaela. And there was no better way to have a coming out party than against the Yankees.

“I was always a Red Sox fan,” Rafaela told reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams. “These are the types of games I used to dream about. Those were the type of games I always wanted to be in.”

After Friday’s win, Rafaela was second among American League rookies with 10 home runs, and he led all rookies with 44 RBIs. The 23-year-old also was second among AL rookies with 14 doubles behind teammate Wilyer Abreu, who had 17. And he (11) was behind David Hamilton (23) for the most steals among AL rookies.

The go-ahead home run Friday night will be a moment Rafaela always will remember, but he’ll look to continue making an impact for the Red Sox this season as they try to gain more ground against New York in the AL playoff race.