Red Sox

Morning sports update: Andrew Benintendi expected to hit the wall on his leaping catch

"Thank God I didn't."

Andrew Benintendi
Andrew Benintendi makes a leaping catch near the wall Wednesday night on a hit by Brian Dozier in the fifth inning of Game 2 at Fenway Park. Jim Davis /The Boston Globe

By Nik DeCosta-Klipa

Halfway there.

On the back of the second-straight strong playoff start from David Price, the Red Sox took a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series with their 4-2 win Wednesday night. The two teams will have a day off to escape the brisk Boston weather and resume the series Friday night for a three-game weekend stay in Los Angeles.

Whether the series returns to Fenway Park remains to be seen.

OK, so is it Air Beni or Air Benny?

Mookie Betts may be the American League MVP favorite for the regular season, but the entire Red Sox outfield has been making a name for themselves this October. Andrew Benintendi might have even made himself a second Wednesday night.

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“Air Beni,” Brock Holt exclaimed to the Red Sox left fielder in the Fenway Park clubhouse, per The Boston Globe, after re-watching Benintendi’s leaping grab in the fifth inning to rob Brian Dozier of a likely lead-off double.

Holt was hardly the first to come up with the nickname. Benintendi’s catch was drawing comparisons to everything from the Air Jordan logo to a ballet dancer before Game 2 had even ended Wednesday. However you spell it, the internet had decided that “Air Benny” was now a thing.

The 24-year-old told reporters after the game that he got a good jump on the ball and the fact that it was hit with topspin “actually helped.”

“I honestly thought when I jumped that I was going to hit the wall,” Benintendi said. “Thank God I didn’t.”

While perhaps not as high-stakes as his game-saving diving catch in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros, the grab Wednesday night was more than enough to leave an impression on the national audience.

Before he even took the field for Game 2, Benintendi’s four-hit Game 1 performance had some asking if the World Series would turn him into a star. But after the game Wednesday, Benintendi was keeping his head down as usual.

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“Everybody’s out there busting their butt to win,” he told reporters. “It doesn’t always have to be a hit, an RBI, whatever. Any way to contribute. We’ve got guys up and down the lineup that contribute in several ways. Whether it be at the plate or defensively or starting pitching. Regardless you’re always looking to do something to help the team win.”

Here’s the latest from Boston.com on the Red Sox win Wednesday night:

‘Shipping up to Boston’ like you’ve never heard it before

Robert Kraft, you’re showing your age: The Boston Braves left the city more than 65 years ago, their remnants remaining only in little clues around Boston University’s soccer and lacrosse stadium. But Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he’ll “never forget when they moved.” [The New York Times]

So much for that: We mentioned yesterday that the Patriots had reportedly shown interest in Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, who had requested a trade from his team. Well, Peterson now says he’s committed to the Cards. [Boston.com]

David Price isn’t the only Red Sox pitcher redeeming himself: After struggling over the summer, hard-throwing reliever Joe Kelly seems to have found his way on the mound again, after a “series of tweaks” advised by the Red Sox coaching staff in September. [The Athletic]

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Malcolm Mitchell hasn’t played since the Super Bowl — of 2017: After undergoing knee surgery and getting cut by the Patriots over the summer, the 2016 draft pick doesn’t know when — or if — he’ll return to football. [The Boston Globe]

Daily highlight: Wait, what?

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