Boston Red Sox: Alex Verdugo got the party started at Fenway Park
Go Dugie, it’s your birthday, we’re gon’ to party like it’s your birthday. Alex Verdugo did just that, as he got the party started in the Boston Red Sox 9-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Saturday afternoon.
With the bats booming again behind another solid pitching performance from Martin Perez on the mound, the Red Sox outfielder got things started on this 25th birthday in style.
After a hot start, Verdugo had one thing in mind on his special day and that was breaking a 0-for-14 slump with his friends and family in attendance.
Alex Verdugo got the Boston Red Sox bash party started right away
He sure wasted no time doing that with this 427-foot birthday blast into the bleachers in right field in the bottom of the first inning:
That really was all the scoring the Red Sox needed as Perez and the bullpen shut out the Angels, but hey, who doesn’t like a homerun party as Verdugo’s blast and energy set the tone for the rest of the lineup as Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts also sent blasts into the bleachers.
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So how was playing baseball on your birthday at Fenway Park and coming out victorious Dugie?
"“It’s amazing. The last thing we want to do is lose – especially on my birthday,” Verdugo said, via MLB.com. “Now I just want to kind of celebrate it even more. The fact that we won, it’s already a positive thing. That’s the biggest things. And for me personally in that first at-bat, just to kind of be going through a little skid and have a good at-bat, get a pitch out over and drive it like that in front of my family that’s here and some friends, it was a very special moment for me.”"
It was also very fun, which Verdugo highlighted as an important aspect in breaking his skid at the plate. Just have fun again and that definitely showed Saturday at Fenway Park with the bats doing their thing and the pitching shutting the Angels down in style.
Boston Red Sox outfielder now entering his prime
Speaking of his 25th birthday, Alex Verdugo is entering his prime and is now really starting to take advantage of his opportunity with the Boston Red Sox.
As the centerpiece of that Mookie Betts deal, Verdugo was on pace to have a breakout season prior to the 0-for-14 slump. That pace is still possible as Dugie now has 5 homers and 17 RBI’s following Saturday’s output.
With players batting behind him like J.D. Martinez, Devers and Bogaerts tearing the cover off the ball, Alex Verdugo should see more good pitching to hit and will have even more opportunity to set the tone just like he did on his birthday.