We had to wait more than two months, but the first Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees series of 2024 has arrived, and it did not take long for things to get interesting at Fenway Park. In the first inning of Friday night's series opener (NY 8, BOS 1), Alex Verdugo clubbed a first-pitch home run against his former team after the crowd greeted him with boos.
Here is Verdugo's blast. This is no cheapie. He hit it to dead center field and certainly seemed to enjoy himself rounding the bases:
According to the YES Network broadcast, Verdugo is the second player to go deep in his first at-bat as a visiting player at Fenway Park after having 2,000 plate appearances with the Red Sox. The first was Ellis Burks. He did it in 1993 with the Chicago White Sox.
Verdugo drove in another run in the fifth inning with an opposite field double off the base of the Green Monster. He picked up his third hit, an RBI single, in the ninth inning. In all, Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a homer, a double and 4 RBI in his return to Fenway.
Earlier in the day, Verdugo told reporters he expected to be treated "like a Yankee" by the Fenway Park crowd, and that he was. He heard boos on par with what Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who doubled earlier in that first inning, heard before their at-bats.
"I feel like this trade happened for a reason. Looking back at it, it was better for me," Verdugo said Friday (via the New York Post). "... I'm just able to be myself. I'm able to show the guys. These guys, they've played against me for years and they understand what I bring when I'm out there between the lines. Now they're seeing it all the way around. I think they just really like the energy that I bring. I'm just 100% me."
Verdugo was a solid player during his four years in Boston, though he was benched multiple times for not hustling. Last season, he was also reprimanded after he showed up late to the ballpark. Earlier this week, Verdugo said he enjoyed playing for the Red Sox but wishes they had done more to improve the team at the trade deadline in 2022 and 2023.
The Yankees and Red Sox hooked up for a rare trade in December that sent Verdugo to New York for three pitching prospects. He took a .259/.314/.418 batting line and eight home runs into Friday's game. Verdugo also rates as one of the league's best defensive left fielders this year. He will be a free agent after the season.
Friday's win improved the Yankees to an MLB-best 49-22. The Red Sox are in third place in the AL East at 35-35. Within the last three weeks or so, Boston has been 26-26, 27-27, 28-28, 29-29, 30-30, 31-31, 32-32, 33-33, 34-34, and now 35-35.
