Alex Verdugo would be a huge story entering tonight’s game, as the Yankees would visit Boston and give the left-handed outfielder his first trip to Fenway Park since being traded. Things in Boston did not end well for Verdugo, who was seemingly at odds with manager Alex Cora, especially at the end of the 2023 campaign. With Luis Gil and Brayan Bello facing off in the first game of this rivalry series, the Bronx Bombers would show up on both sides of the ball, getting some big hits and big strikeouts, but no performance was bigger than the one Alex Verdugo had tonight.
With four RBIs, Alex Verdugo made sure to respond to the Boston boos with some big-time hits, and the Yankees would take a dominant 8-1 win.
Offense Surges Thanks to Alex Verdugo’s Big Day, Yankees Win 50th Game
The New York Yankees have been dominant in the first inning of games, and that happened once again as they faced a struggling Brayan Bello. Usually a stout arm against the Bronx Bombers, Alex Verdugo delivered a quick blow in the form of a two-run home run that gave the Yankees an early 2-0 lead. They would expand on that lead thanks to a misplay by Bello, who dropped what would have been an inning-ending force out at first but instead saw it turn into a run-scoring error.
Luis Gil only allowed one run over five innings, but with four walks it was an absolute grind for the right-hander, who started to look out of sorts in the fourth and fifth innings. He allowed an RBI double to Emmanuel Valdez to make it a 3-1 game before picking up two massive strikeouts to hold the Red Sox offense at bay. Alex Verdugo would pick up an RBI double that was followed up with an RBI single from Anthony Rizzo, giving the Bronx Bombers a 5-1 lead.
After Gil fought through the fifth inning, it was the bullpen that found a way to step up despite being down both of it’s most trusted arms in Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver (rest). Tommy Kahnle walked two consecutive hitters before striking out the next two in the sixth, and Caleb Ferguson had what I would consider his best outing with the Yankees. He ended the sixth with a strikeout then struck out three more in a row in the seventh.
Victor Gonzalez recorded two outs in the eighth and Michael Tonkin finished the inning off, but the Yankees would add some more insurance in the ninth to further bash on Boston’s pitching staff. Jose Trevino belted his seventh home run of the season, with Aaron Judge hitting an RBI double and Alex Verdugo picking up an RBI hit as well, hit fourth of the day which matched a career-best.
Michael Tonkin secured the win with three outs in the ninth, and the Yankees would become the first team in baseball to reach 50 wins on the season. They’re on an absolute roll right now, and they’ll take the first game in this three-game set at Fenway Park. Carlos Rodon will toe the slab against Cooper Criswell tomorrow at 7:15 PM EST on FOX, as the Yankees look to take the series against their hated rivals.