Masataka Yoshida put his early-season slump far in the rearview with his series-clinching performance against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 12-5 verdict on Sunday afternoon.
Yoshida finished with six RBIs after hitting two home runs during a nine-run eighth inning for the Red Sox. Yoshida’s second of such homers was a 400-plus foot grand slam to right field. The Red Sox left fielder is the first player since David Ortiz in 2008 to hit two home runs in one inning, per the NESN broadcast.
“The leadoff hitter, JT (Justin Turner) hit the home run so that (gave) us really good mood,” Yoshida told NESN’s Jahmai Webster after the contest, through a translator. “And I was focused on getting on base, but I was able to swing really well. So I was really happy to make a good result.”
Yoshida (2-for-4, six RBIs, two runs) was 5-for-12 during the three-game series against the Brewers and now is 7-for-17 over the last four games.
Yoshida’s performance certainly was a topic of conversation in the clubhouse.
“He swings at the right ones,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told of Yoshida’s pitch selection, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Obviously there’s some adjustments, and there’s things he knows he needs to do in order to start hitting the ball hard in the air. He got two pitches today, I mean, the second one today that was fun to watch.”
Turner added: “Happy for him, obviously. (He was) grinding a little bit early and for him to take these quality at-bats, this whole series really has been spectacular. To get some good results, not only is it good for him but it’s good for the Red Sox.”
Here are more notes from Red Sox-Brewers:
— The Red Sox offense, however, had much more to offer than Yoshida and the eighth inning. Boston was effective throughout much of the contest and the approach at the plate leading to seven walks as starting pitcher Corbin Burnes threw 53 of his 91 pitches for strikes (three walks).
“In the middle innings, they made some pitches and we didn’t cash in, but kept putting pressure, some walks and then obviously the homers,” Cora said. “It’s a different lineup in that aspect (getting walks). If you’re disciplined enough you’re going to take you walks and, like I said, you put traffic out there and put pressure on the opposition to throw it over the plate, good things can happen.”
Turner added of the eighth inning: “It was a lot of good things, obviously a few homers in there, but some quality at-bats, some good base-running. … It was complete inning for offense and if we can do that we’re going to win a lot of ballgames.”
— Brayan Bello responded to an underwhelming season debut with a fine second outing. Bello allowed three earned runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings, two of those runs and three of those hits coming in the fifth frame. He got out of a jam in a scoreless first inning after issuing two walks with one wild pitch.
Cora expressed how he thought Bello did a “good job.”
— While Boston’s bats will claim the majority of headlines given the 12-run output, the defense combined to have another notable performance. Specifically, third baseman Rafael Devers and shortstop Yu Chang had highlight-reel plays during the early going.
“They’re paying well,” Cora said. “It’s just something we’re doing better lately and we got to continue because at this level when you play defense you’re giving yourself a chance.”
Bello added of the defense, through a translator: “It definitely gives you extra confidence when you have the team behind you that can make all those plays.”
— Cora was pleased with how the Red Sox responded in the eighth inning after they gave up the lead in the bottom of the seventh.
“It’s a team that, like I said before the game, we’re going to grind until you tell us the games over,” Cora said. “We’ve been doing this the whole season — 21 games, 22 games — I don’t want to say this is who we are, but it seems like this is who we are.”
— The Red Sox now have won three consecutive series and are 7-3 in their last 10 games with a team batting average of .273.
— Boston continues its road trip with a trip to Baltimore. The Red Sox will face the Orioles in the first game of the three-game set Monday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET.
