BOSTON – Even after hitting two home goals, Alex Verdugo was not done with making highlights for the Red Sox on Friday night.
With Boston leading the Blue Jays, 5-3, in the ninth inning, former Sox striker Travis Shaw hit a deep flybeam from Brandon Workman that looked like a home team off the ball. But Verdugo drove back to the window from the right, made his leap and robbed a homer, and reached into the Toronto bullpen to maintain the lead of two runs.
Verdugo, who was acquired in the February trade that Mookie Betts and David Price sent to the Dodgers, immediately let out a loud scream in celebration after making the catches. With no fans in the stands, it was pretty easy for everyone at Fenway Park to hear how excited he was.
“I think today was a little more hype because it robbed a homer,” Verdugo said. “When you make a diving game, you just do the typical tip your pet does to some of the players and say ‘I have you.’ “But taking it back home is one of the most exciting plays in baseball. After you just hit one? I was on Cloud Nine. I left it out.”
Verdugo is an energetic and emotional player who has played a major role in the Red Sox winning their last two games. After hitting a two-run home run in Wednesday’s win over the Rays, he shone on Friday night on both sides of the ball against Toronto.
When Shaw hit the workman’s ball, Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke thought Verdugo had a chance to catch it.
“It’s so deep out there,” Roenicke said. ‘If you do not crush it like Mitch (Moreland)’s hit – and that ball hit really well – but if you just miss it a little bit, then it’s so deep out that you have a chance to catch a lot of balls. will run home in other ball parks. ”
Verdugo, who liked some teams as a pitcher at Sahuaro High School in Arizona prior to the 2014 draft, said he hopes the show will keep up the pressure from Workman, who then had to get two outs with a lead of two runs instead of a one run advantage.
“To rob someone, to bring someone back, it’s enormous,” Verdugo said. ‘I used to be a thrower during the day, so I understand that when you throw a runner out, make a play or help, it takes a lot of pressure off the thrower and it helps. To take one back in there in a two-run game, it was enormous. You could see I was pretty hyped. ”
He tried not to stiffen his emotions after making the play.
“I just had to let it go,” he said. ‘You could hear it, even when I picked it up.
Related links:
Alex Verdugo ‘does not think’ about replacing Mookie Betts with Boston Red Sox: ‘I do not like to fill shoes’
Alex Verdugo strikes on two home points, robs Travis Shaw of homer when Boston defeats Red Sox Blue Jays, 5-3
Alex Verdugo could soon lead for Boston Red Sox: ‘I will not be stubborn and (Andrew Benintendi) stay there forever,’ says Ron Roenicke
