Napoli admits relief after not being traded at deadline

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BOSTON -- When the 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline came and went Friday afternoon without any notification that the Red Sox had dealt him away to a contender, Mike Napoli admitted he felt a small bit of relief.

"I said 'I don't have to answer questions about (the trade deadline) anymore,'' said Napoli, with a smile.

Instead, Napoli found a crowd of reporters at his locker Friday night, ready to ask questions of a different sort.

It was Napoli's dramatic, two-run, two-out homer in the bottom of the seventh inning that helped erased a one-run deficit and put the Red Sox ahead for good in a 7-5 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

For the past few weeks, Napoli had been the subject of trade talk leading up to the deadline. Eligible for free agency at the end of the year and not part of the Red Sox' long-term plans, it was widely assumed that the Sox would move him to a team in the playoff race -- as they did earlier this week with former teammate Shane Victorino. 

"To be honest, I didn't really worry about it,'' said Napoli. "It was something I can't control. I just kept coming to the park every day, got my work in, stuck to my plan and tried to do anything I can to try to help our team win. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen. So I just kept to my business.''

Napoli knew a deal was possible Friday, but was hoping it wouldn't happen. Against all evidence to the contrary, he's not convinced the Red Sox are necessarily out of the running for the post-season.

"We're not done here yet,'' said Napoli. "We've still got 58 games to go. We know that. With this team, we can put a good run together. We're not giving up yet. We're going to go out there and play hard everyday. This is our job. We get paid to come out here and perform. We're going to come out here and try to play the game the right way.''

The task Friday night wasn't easy. Rays lefty Jake McGee throws in the upper 90s.

"I was just trying to stay short to the ball,'' said Napoli. "He throws hard. I calmed down my leg kick and just tried to get my barrel to it. I was looking for something to drive and I happened to get a pitch up. Usually, I don't get to that pitch but I happened to get enough of  it to hit the top of the wall. It was a nice Fenway homer.''

Whether he stays or goes, there's no denying that Napoli has picked up his offensive game in the last three weeks.

Since the final game of the first half, Napoli is hitting .326 with three homers, five doubles and nine RBI in the last 14 games.

"Coming out of the All-Star break, I had some rest and got away from the game a little bit,'' said Napoli. "I came back, had a good plan and just stuck to it. I felt better each day and the things I'm working on is to keep this feeling that I have in the box. I'm just going to keep it going and move forward.''

Of course, it helps that Napoli is having some success at the plate, breeding confidence with each day.

"Results are nice,'' said Napoli. "It definitely helps to make solid contact. Barreling up some balls and just hitting it hard (is nice), but getting hits definitely helps and makes you feel better.''

David Ortiz, who drew an 11-pitch walk prior to Napoli's at-bat, was happy for his teammate.

"It's good to have him around,'' said Ortiz. "Nap is a really good friend of mine. I know the situation that he's been through this year and I believe that he's swinging the bat better and he's going to come through. It's a good thing that we still have him around.''

There's still a possibility that the Red Sox will move Napoli in August once he clears waivers. He can't control that either, but hopes it doesn't happen.

"I want to be a Red Sox,'' he said flatly. "I signed here and I love my teammates. I definitely have fun playing with them on the field.''

Especially Friday night.

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