No Boston Red Sox player had ever hit 25 home runs before the end of June.
That is, until Wednesday night when J.D. Martinez launched No. 25 into the Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston’s 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Four other players previously hit 24 homers before July 1 — Ted Williams (1950), Jose Conseco (1996), Mo Vaughn (1996) and Manny Ramirez (2001) —Â but no one had ever amassed the quarter-century mark.Â
What makes the slugger’s home run count even more impressive is that no Red Sox player had 25 home runs last season, with Mookie Betts leading the 2017 Sox with 24 round-trippers.
Red Sox skipper Alex Cora had nothing but positive things to say about the 30-year-old, noting how special of a player he’s become not just on the field, but also in the clubhouse.
“He’s a special player, he’s a special hitter and he’s becoming a special teammate,” Cora said after the game, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “What he brings to the table is more than what he does on the field. He’s becoming the leader of the team in the clubhouse and we’re very proud of him.”
Martinez drove in three runs and scored two of his own in the win, accounting for over half of the team’s runs.
Here are some other notes from Wednesday’s Red Sox-Angels game:
— The Red Sox have outscored the Angels 45-10 this season.
— Mike Trout never has hit a home run at Fenway Park. It’s the only American League ballpark he hasn’t gone yard at.
The Angels star went 1-for-4 on the night with a strikeout.
— After the offense gave him a six-run cushion, Sox starter Rick Porcello surrendered four runs before the bullpen allowed the Angels to tie the game. Fortunately, the offense was there to bail the team out late in the game.
“I can’t say enough about the way our offense played. They did all the work,” Porcello said after the game. “Our offense was incredible today … that’s the reason we won.”
— Sandy Leon had a great night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
The catcher has had great success against the Angels, batting .342 with three doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs and seven runs through 11 career games against them.
— Rafael Devers led the starting nine in hits with three on the night. The third baseman also scored two twice and drove in one run.
— Boston officially is halfway through its season and owns baseball’s best record at 54-27.
