Lavarnway: Good hitter, even better house guest

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By JessicaCamerato
CSNNE.comFollow@JCameratoNBA

On Tuesday night rookiecatcher Ryan Lavarnway powered the Boston Red Sox to a crucial 8-7 winover the Baltimore Orioles with two homeruns and four RBIs.

But before he was driving an entire team tovictory, Lavarnway played a role in one of his teammates' success thisseason.

Lavarnwaydidnt know Josh Reddick very well when he was called up to thePawtucket Red Sox from the Portland Sea Dogs in June.

When he asked around the clubhouse about taking atrip back up to Portland to retrieve the rest of his belongingsfollowing a day game, Reddick said he was already planning on drivingup to Maine that night and agreed to give Lavarnway a ride.

That afternoon Lavarnway batted 2-for-4 with twodoubles and a run scored; Reddick hit 1-for-3 with a double as well.

As Lavarnway looked to get settled into his newsurroundings in Pawtucket, Reddick offered he could stay at his placeuntil he found a spot to live. Both players were pursuing the nextsteps in their careers -- Lavarnway was getting adjusted to Triple-Abaseball and Reddick was fighting to make it back to the Boston RedSox.

A few days later, Lavarnway and Reddick eachhit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs apiece in an 8-3 win overthe Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

Erring on the side ofsuperstition, Reddick extended his hospitality.

Weboth hit two homers in the same game, Lavarnway recalled. He waslike, Alright, you cant move out now.'

I thinkhe got called up here (to the Red Sox) a couple days later and washitting .300.

Lavarnway ended up living atReddicks place in Pawtucket (and taking care of his dog) whileReddick spent the rest of the season in Boston. A few months later,Lavarnway joined him on the Red Sox, where he played an integral rolein Tuesdays must-win game.

In this game wheretheres only 25 spots on the roster, even if you dont play the sameposition, as much as were teammates in the minor leagues, everyoneskind of competing with each other," said Lavarnway. The fact that wehadnt really met before and he was being so nice to me, you dontreally expect that.

Jessica Camerato is on Twitter athttp:twitter.com!JCameratoNBA.

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