After suffering a humiliating 16-1 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, the Boston Red Sox responded with a much-needed 7-4 victory over the Rays on Tuesday night. Star third baseman Alex Bregman was the driving force that powered the Red Sox to victory, as he racked up the first five-hit game of his career the day before he and his wife are set to welcome their second child.

Bregman was a one-man wrecking crew for Boston, as he hit two home runs, two doubles, and a single in his five at-bats, driving in four runs while also coming around to score twice. After the game, it was revealed Bregman would not play in the rubber match against Tampa Bay, as he will be returning to Boston early for the birth of his second child.

“Alex Bregman won't play tomorrow. He will fly back to Boston for the birth of his second child,” Ian Browne of MLB.com shared in a post on X.

Alex Bregman already proving his worth for Red Sox

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The Red Sox shelled out a pretty penny for Bregman in free agency, handing him a three-year, $120 million contract to come in and shore up their lineup. It's been a small sample size of just 19 games, but Bregman has been precisely what Boston was looking for, as he's posted a .321 batting average while hitting four home runs and driving in 16 runs. He's also leading the American League in hits (25) and doubles (seven) heading into play on Wednesday.

For at least one game, though, the Sox won't have Bregman at their disposal, meaning they will need someone else to step up and find a way to drive in runs on offense, which has been a bit of an issue so far for the team early on in the new season. Boston will look to find a way to come out on top in their rubber match with the Rays on Wednesday, as they will be sending Sean Newcomb to the mound, while Tampa will turn to Zack Littell. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.