Xander Bogaerts gave the Red Sox much-needed firepower Wednesday night, and he made history along the way.
The Boston shortstop hit a grand slam off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan, and the designated hitter followed that up with a home run of his own to put the Red Sox up, 5-0, in the top of the third inning at Target Field.
The homer for Bogaerts puts him ahead of Nomar Garciaparra and Vern Stephens for most home runs by a Red Sox shortstop in franchise history with six, according to Red Sox senior manager of media relations and baseball information J.P. Long. It also extended Bogaerts’ hitting streak at Target Field to 19, which is the longest for an opposing player in the park’s history, according to NESN in-game coverage.
The Boston shortstop’s accolades don’t stop there. Bogaerts also made Major League Baseball history as his dinger traveled 113 mph, the hardest hit home run of the Statcast era, which dates back to 2015.
Bogaerts was a lift to the Red Sox offense Wednesday, but his accolades are likely to stand the test of time for a good while.
