For a few precious moments on Wednesday night at Marlins Park, this season-long grind that J.D. Martinez had worn across his face was replaced by a wide smile.

The slugger took a swing in the top of the seventh inning that had been commonplace for the last several seasons but has been lacking in 2020. The baseball flew over the right-field wall, and Martinez had a two-run homer, albeit in an 8-4 loss to the Marlins.

• Box score

The fact Martinez was able to go deep in his home of South Florida probably made it a little sweeter. The fact it ended a 1-for-31 skid almost certainly did. It was part of a 2-for-4 night for Martinez that also included a sacrifice fly.

“To see him have the power to get a ball out -- oppo here, you’ve got to kill it to get a home run,” said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke. “That’s really good to see. And following it with a base hit. I thought, good swings all night from him. I know he’s been working hard and he’s in that cage all the time, hitting extra on the field. We just hope he follows it up tomorrow with another good one.”

The homer, single and sac fly were all hit to right field. Hitting the ball with authority to the opposite field has always been a good sign for Martinez.

“I think that’s important for him,” Roenicke said. “I know when he’s going well, that’s what he’s doing a lot of. Then with the offspeed, he catches it out front to pull it.”

Martinez has but five homers in 44 games and 190 plate appearances this season. The lack of power has been striking for the man who led the Majors with 124 long balls from 2017-19.

Earlier in the season, Martinez admitted to being out of sorts over not being able to study video between at-bats due to modified rules this season. But it stood to reason he would make the adjustment at some point. Perhaps Wednesday was a sign that Martinez will be able to have a strong final week-and-a-half.

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“When he’s going well, his slot to right-center is big for him. That’s what he works on all the time,” Roenicke said. “So you see it in the game, you hope it can continue and he gets locked in and we see that good hitter again.”

Momentum heading into next season is important for a player who is 33 years old and has two years left on his contract with the Red Sox, though Martinez does have opt-out clauses this offseason and next.

Given Martinez’s tough numbers in 2020, it’s a safe bet he will remain with the Red Sox rather than opt out.

When he is right, Martinez is one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. The hope is that he will regain his stroke and his swagger in 2021 and beyond.

Munoz looks at home
One player who clearly looks intent on playing a role on the 2021 Red Sox is Yairo Muñoz, who clubbed two more hits on Wednesday, stole a base and made a terrific sliding catch in right field.

“I feel great right now,” said Muñoz. “Obviously I’m hitting well and I’m just putting in all the work I need to have success at the plate. As far as the organization, I feel great being here. I feel at home, and all the young guys have been great, all the veterans as well. It’s really good to be a part of this, so I’m super excited to be here.”

Muñoz, who is hitting .349 with an .884 OPS in 43 at-bats, has caught the eye of his manager.

“He's doing a good job,” said Roenicke. “He's got good instincts out there, the speed plays. He's got a good arm, and he knows how to hit. I know he's a free swinger, but he can hit and we've been seeing it since he's been here.

“So we need some people to get on base and we need some people to get those runs in when we get an opportunity, and most of the time he's going to put the ball in play. So he's doing his job, and we're all liking what we're seeing.”