Xander Bogaerts hit two home runs Thursday night in the Boston Red Sox’s 19-3 win over the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.
The first was significant, as it opened the scoring and marked the longest home run of Bogaerts’ career (451 feet). Yet the second — which put the finishing touches on Boston’s beatdown — was even more special for the Red Sox shortstop.
Why? Well, Bogaerts made a concerted effort to go deep in the eighth inning, something he rarely does. The 26-year-old had family members, including his mom, at the game, but they arrived late to the ballpark and missed his first-inning homer off Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka.
“I saw them actually walking to their seats right when (Rick) Porcello was throwing that (second) inning when (the Yankees) scored a couple runs,” Bogaerts told reporters after the game, per MassLive.com. “I led off that (next) inning and I struck out. Typical. Trying to do too much.”
Bogaerts singled in the fourth and fifth innings as the Red Sox increased their lead. He then flied out to left field in the sixth inning. The eighth inning presented an opportunity for Bogaerts to swing for the downs, though, as the Yankees put in catcher Austin Romine to pitch with the game out of reach.
“I hit the first one and they weren’t here and then I looked up and saw them arrive and struck out. I’m like, ‘Typical,'” Bogaerts said, per WEEI.com. “But then they were there the whole game, I got a couple of hits and the last at-bat I saw my mom there and I’m like, ‘I’m going to try.’ It didn’t work out for a couple of pitches, but I was happy it did.
“Position player, it might be a little easier to do than off a real pitcher because real pitchers have good stuff,” he added. “It worked out.”
It sure did.
