NEW YORK -- Mookie Betts played every one of the 19 innings in the Red Sox' 6-5 marathon Friday night. So, too, did Hanley Ramirez. Shane Victorino wasn't in the starting lineup, but still managed to play a full 10 innings coming off the bench.
So on Saturday, in the interest of preserving some of his regulars and injecting a tired ballclub with some fresh energy, John Farrell had a makeshift outfield with Daniel Nava in left, Brock Holt in center and Allen Craig in right.
The three proved to be far more than placeholders in the Red Sox' 8-4 win over the New York Yankees. Nava knocked in the first two runs of the game. Craig walked to extend an inning and turned in the defensive gem of the afternoon when he made a sliding catch on a ball in the right field corner. And Holt, getting his first start of the season after just one at-bat through the first four games, collected four hits from the leadoff spot, scoring one run and knocking in three others.
"It speaks to the depth of the roster,'' said manager John Farrell, "and the trust that we have in everyone.''
It was the kind of lineup alignment that might be expected in July or August, in a day game after a night game, when the dog days have arrived.
In reality, it was just the fifth game of the season. But the physical demands of a game that was longer than two put together required some adjustment on the part of the Red Sox.
Fortunately, the replacement outfield trio responded.
Boston Red Sox
"Those guys had awesome days,'' said catcher Ryan Hanigan. "It's going to take the whole team if we're going to win this year. Guys get their chances, they're getting it done.''
"It was just a good opportunity for us to get a couple of at-bats,'' said Nava of the three. "The whole goal was just to, the classic adage, help the team win any way we could. Fortunately, we came up in some good spots and got some things done.''
It began with Nava, who's been playing more regularly than any other role players while the Sox carefully momnitor Victorino in the early going.
Nava, who had two RBI Friday night, kept it up in the second inning with a run-scoring double to left, accounting for the first run of the afternoon. Two innings later, he singled up the middle to score the Sox' second run.
That's four RBI in two games. Last year, it took him 30 games -- with a minor league demotion in the middle -- before he knocked in four runs.
"I'm definitely grateful that things have started this way,'' said Nava, "compared to last year. It's obviously a different situaton compared to last year. But I think the way the team is constructed, whenever we get the opportunities, we try to relish them. I think that's how we're looking at it.''
Meanwhile, Holt, who proved his value last season by starting at eight different positions, picked up right where he left off a year ago, going 4-for-5 on a day when the team needed contributions from anyone and everyone.
"That's huge,'' he said. "A seven-hour game (Friday) night, we needed to get some of those guys off their feet and out of the lineup and you've got guys like Allen, Nava and me who you can plug in. You get the main guys in the outfield a day off and they'll be fresher tomorrow.''
Holt's big hit came in the bottom of the eighth as the Red Sox tacked on some insurance runs. With the bases loaded and two out, he drove a ball to right that Garrett Jones couldn't glove and three more runs scored.
”Be ready to play every day,'' he shrugged. "I was ready today. John gave me the word (Friday) night that I'd be in there in center today, so I was able to sleep on it and get ready. I was fortunate to have a good day. But the mindset is to come to the field, every day, ready to go. If you're in the lineup, get ready to play. If not, get ready to come in. That's the mindset.’’