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\n\nBeen there, done that, right?\n\n“Yeah, that always helps, I guess, to be in that situation,” said Moreland. “The more preparation you can get and experience you’ve gotten with it, the better you can prepare. Obviously it’s a little bit different. But yeah, still, all the same, you’re trying to go up there and do your job.”\n\nAnd give Cora credit for restraining himself when he at least contemplated using Moreland to pinch-hit for Sam Travis in the seventh inning, by which time the Sox had whittled a 6-1 deficit to 6-3.\n\n“The coaching staff, they were like, ‘We should save Mitch in case something happens later in the game,’ and we went with Blake \\[Swihart\\] first,” said Cora. “We wanted Mitch to hit with men on and put a good swing on it. He’s been working hard. He’s been working hard on this, and he was locked in. From the seventh inning on, he was preparing and was in the cage with \\[coaches\\] Ramon \\[Vazquez\\] and Andy \\[Barkett\\]. That’s what they do, they prepare. We don’t stop playing. They understand their roles, and that was a big swing by Mitch.”\n\nMoreland’s main job for the Red Sox is to start at first base against righties. But when they face a lefty, they have a certified pro ready and waiting off the bench.\n\nThis was the fifth pinch-hit homer of Moreland’s career, including postseason. And he became the 12th player in Red Sox history to hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later, and the first since Mike Carp’s grand slam at Tropicana Field on Sept. 11, 2013.\n\nThough Moreland might make pinch-hitting look easy, he will tell you that it most certainly is not.\n\n“Yeah, I mean it’s definitely not ideal,” said Moreland. “When you get to that situation, or you think you might be in it, you just try to prepare the best you can and be ready for it when it comes and be familiar with the situation and that’s kind of my gameplan going into it.”
**Homers get Sox back in it** \nNot much had gone right for the Red Sox in the first two games until Moreland’s connection.
**And the save goes to …** \nCora had been making it a big mystery how he would deploy his bullpen in the late innings with a lead. After Moreland put the Sox in front on Friday, it was Barnes who was entrusted with the first save opportunity of the season.\n\nThe righty dazzled, earning his third career save by striking out two of the three batters he faced and throwing just 12 pitches in a perfect inning.\n\nThis doesn’t necessarily mean Barnes will close in the next save opportunity.\n\nIt was notable that Barnes was used with Seattle’s 2-3-4 hitters looming in the ninth. Conceivably, he could come on in the eighth when the meat of the other team’s order is due up.\n\n“We’re sticking with the plan,” said a coy Cora after the game.
**Nunez caught in between** \nThe Red Sox might well have completed their comeback in the eighth inning if not for some bizarre baserunning by
**Up next** \n