Red Sox

"Thank God I was able to put a good swing on that pitch and hit the ball out."

Jonathan Araúz celebrates after his go-ahead home run in the eighth inning Friday. Tony Dejak/AP Photo

Jonathan Araúz was asleep at his hotel in Buffalo Friday afternoon when the Red Sox called and told him they needed him in Cleveland for their 7:10 p.m. game against the Indians.

Araúz and his Triple-A Worcester teammate Yairo Muñoz were replacing

Kiké Hernández and Christian Arroyo — who were placed on the COVID-related injured list — and they didn’t have any time to dilly-dally. They quickly got ready, embarked on a three-plus-hour ride, and arrived at Progressive Field shortly after 5 p.m.

“They called at around (1 p.m.) just to let me know I had to get up in a hurry and get luggage real quick and get to the stadium as fast as possible, get on that bus to get over here,” Araúz told reporters, through an interpreter.

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In the eighth inning, following two failed bunt attempts, Araúz hit a three-run homer to right that lifted the Red Sox to a 4-3 win and gave them their fourth victory in the last five games.

Araúz was disappointed in himself for not getting a bunt down, but he regrouped and focused on the new task at hand. His goal was to make solid contact and move the runners over, and he ended up doing a lot more than that.

“Thank God I was able to put a good swing on that pitch and hit the ball out,” Araúz said.

It was the 23-year-old infielder’s first home run in 17 games with the Red Sox this season. He had only gone yard once in 114 major league plate appearances and 30 times in 1,890 minor league plate appearances.

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Said Araúz: “It’s probably a home run that I know I’m not going to forget.”