Current:Home > NewsYankees' Alex Verdugo homers vs. Red Sox in return to Fenway – and lets them know about it-InfoLens
Yankees' Alex Verdugo homers vs. Red Sox in return to Fenway – and lets them know about it
View Date:2024-12-23 11:57:00
BOSTON – Asked how he expected to be received as a visitor this weekend, returning to Fenway Park, Alex Verdugo replied: “Like a Yankee.’’
On cue, Verdugo's first swing on Friday night produced a two-run homer to center field off Brayan Bello, giving the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead against his former team.
Trotting around the bases, Verdugo heard the boos from Boston's fans - and the cheers of a large contingent of Yankees' fans - as he grandly gestured in celebration toward the visiting dugout.
Hours earlier, Verdugo called it “a special, weird day for me,’’ preparing to play against his old team, the Red Sox, with his new club – their despised, ancient rivals and the owners of MLB’s best record.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone switched Verdugo and Juan Soto defensively Friday, starting Verdugo in the familiar, expansive grounds of right field, taking advantage of his plus defense.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Soto was set to handle left field, with its famously shorter dimensions in the Green Monster’s shadow.
Across his three seasons (2021-23) with the Red Sox, Verdugo – the key figure in a trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers – batted .278 and averaged a .751 OPS, 12 homers, 64 RBI and 147 games per season.
Verdugo entered this series batting .259 with a .733 OPS, eight homers and 37 RBI in 68 games, serving mostly as the Yankees’ unconventional cleanup hitter behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.
Verdugo’s last season in Boston was a lot more forgettable, with instances of lateness and lack of hustle that caused Red Sox manager Alex Cora to discipline the lefty hitter.
As he did in spring training, Verdugo said he’s maintained a good relationship with Cora.
“Our families like each other, our kids like each other. Off the field we have no problems at all,’’ said Verdugo. “A couple minor things, we bumped heads on - that’s fine.
“Not everybody’s always going to agree with things, but really, I’ve got nothing but respect for AC," adding that he’s “a little tired’’ of that subject.
veryGood! (38585)
Related
- Wind-whipped wildfire near Reno prompts evacuations but rain begins falling as crews arrive
- Baltimore’s light rail service suspended temporarily for emergency inspections
- A ‘soft landing’ or a recession? How each one might affect America’s households and businesses
- Nicki Minaj's bars, Barbz and beefs; plus, why 2023 was the year of the cowboy
- McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
- Republican Adam Kinzinger says he's politically homeless, and if Trump is the nominee, he'll vote for Biden — The Takeout
- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Get into the Holiday Spirit in Royal Outing
- Baltimore’s light rail service suspended temporarily for emergency inspections
- Texas man accused of supporting ISIS charged in federal court
- How a top economic adviser to Biden is thinking about inflation and the job market
Ranking
- Jennifer Lopez Turns Wicked Premiere Into Family Outing With 16-Year-Old Emme
- Sulfuric acid spills on Atlanta highway; 2 taken to hospital after containers overturn
- FTC opens inquiry of Chevron-Hess merger, marking second review this week of major oil industry deal
- Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines reject a contract their union negotiated with the airline
- Study finds Wisconsin voters approved a record number of school referenda
- Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' Exes Andrew Shue and Marilee Fiebig Spotted Together Amid Budding Romance
- Privacy concerns persist in transgender sports case after Utah judge seals only some health records
- Harvard president apologizes for remarks on antisemitism as pressure mounts on Penn’s president
Recommendation
-
College Football Fix podcast addresses curious CFP rankings and previews Week 12
-
Judge voids result of Louisiana sheriff’s election decided by a single vote and orders a new runoff
-
Here's the average pay raise employees can expect in 2024
-
November jobs report shows economy added 199,000 jobs; unemployment at 3.7%
-
Watch: Military dad's emotional return after a year away
-
Report: Deputies were justified when they fired at SUV that blasted through Mar-a-Lago checkpoint
-
Ryan O’Neal, star of ‘Love Story,’ ‘Paper Moon,’ ‘Peyton Place’ and ‘Barry Lyndon,’ dies at 82
-
Polish truck drivers are blocking the border with Ukraine. It’s hurting on the battlefield