Boston Red Sox: 3 players who sparked momentum in shutout vs Rays
3. Alex Verdugo put the Boston Red Sox on top early.
The one person who can make Boston Red Sox fans not miss Mookie Betts is the man he was traded for in Alex Verdugo.
With some high expectations going into this shortened season, Verdugo’s bat, like most of the lineup has been pretty silent.
That changed Wednesday night in the victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. With his first homerun in a Red Sox uniform, Verdugo gave his team a rare early lead in the game with a two-run shot to right field.
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With the way Martin Perez and the bullpen pitched, that early homer turned out to be the deciding factor in the game. It not only gave the Red Sox that early lead they are not use to, it set the tone for the night and may have even sparked Alex Verdugo into picking it up offensively.
"“I was just late, starting late, everything like that. The speed, like the pitches, everything was speeding up on me,” Verdugo said, via MLB.com. “You know, I just kind of went to being a little bit calmer and starting a little bit earlier. I’m starting to see the ball better, I’m starting to put better swings on the ball.”"
In all, the talent and energy Verdugo brings to the field and really spark this team if he really starts getting it going with the bat. He is far from Mookie Betts in this point in his early career, but he does have similar skills.
It’s all about finding his comfort zone and finding his niche on a Boston Red Sox team primed for someone to breakout in a 2020 season that seemed over before it even started.