All’s not yet lost, but with the season on the brink, John Farrell was right to bench Mike Napoli.

The All-Star break is a week away. The Boston Red Sox are trying to keep their flickering hopes of making a run in the second half of the season alive. They’ve won seven out of 10 games with series wins against Tampa Bay, Toronto and Houston.

It’s a been an encouraging stretch, but there’s still a long way to go to overcome a bad first half.

This homestand, which continues with Miami and the New York Yankees, has become the most important of the year. Win a few games, cut the lead by a game or two, and the Sox could have some optimism when the unofficial second half of the season begins in Anaheim on July 17. Post a losing record this week, and it’s time to start thinking about which players to sell off before the July 31 trade deadline.

That’s why Manager John Farrell is pulling out all the stops to win as many games as he can. It’s why he benched first baseman Mike Napoli on Sunday and made David Ortiz a defensive starter at Fenway Park for the first time since 2005.

“It’s about putting best lineup on the field today,” Farrell said.

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That seems obvious, but in the marathon of a baseball season Farrell often has to manage for the long haul. Sunday’s move highlighted the urgency the Sox feel right now. In many ways the season is on the brink, and the Sox know they need to build on last week’s 5-2 road trip.

Ortiz is a better-fielding first baseman than most people think. He just hasn’t done it very often. He’ll do whatever the team asks, but he doesn’t want this to be an everyday thing.

“I don’t really get prepared to play first base because I don’t play first base,” said Ortiz, “but I know what I can do when I’m playing defense out there, and I try not to go crazy. You guys know that I’m not a first baseman anymore, so I’m not going to be all fancy out there. I try to get things done, keep it simple.”

Sunday was fairly simple for Ortiz. There was just one play at first base, when he fielded a ground ball and flipped it to pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.

Oritz says Sunday’s start at first base was a one-time event, but the Sox might ask him to do it a little more frequently. With another day off Thursday, and the All-Star break looming, Ortiz could play once or twice more and have a day off to recover. It would give Napoli, who’s batting .192, more time to work his way out of his latest slump (2 for 27 over in his last eight games). It would also allow Alejandro De Aza and Shane Victorino to start in the outfield together, giving them a superior defensive alignment while Hanley Ramirez serves as the designated hitter.

Despite his struggles, Napoli still has more homers at Fenway than any other member of the Red Sox. Ortiz believes the Sox need a productive Napoli in the lineup if they’re going to turn this around.

“Napoli’s what, 32 years old?” said Ortiz. (Napoli is actually 33, six years younger than Ortiz.) “He’s still young. He’s going to come out of it. It’s just not that easy to come out of it. I think one day at a time. Get a day off today, give your mind a release, not even thinking and come in the next day. Probably these next few days might make him feel better.”

A more productive Napoli would make everyone feel better. Right now, the Sox don’t have the luxury of waiting around for him to find his way. They need wins, and they need them now. Playing Ortiz at first a little more frequently might help the Sox get them.

Tom Caron is the studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.


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