The Boston Red Sox had a home run derby in the first inning Monday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park and Masataka Yoshida made sure to be a part of it.
Two batters after Rafael Devers hit a solo shot to straightaway center field, Yoshida crushed his first home run in a Red Sox uniform off Pirates starter Johan Oviedo.
Yoshida caught up to a 96 mph fastball from the right-handed Oviedo at the top of the zone and belted it over the Green Monster for a two-run round-tripper. The blast also leveled the score at 3-3 for the time being after the Pirates jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first.
You can watch Yoshida’s home run, which traveled 390 feet, here.
Yoshida has made a good first impression through his first three-plus games with the Red Sox. The 29-year-old Japanese standout recorded two hits in two of Boston’s first three games against the Baltimore Orioles.
Later in the bottom of the first inning, Triston Casas followed the lead of Devers and Yoshida as he wrapped a two-run homer around Pesky Pole for a 5-3 advantage. It was Boston’s third round-tripper of the inning.
After scoring nine runs in each game of their series against the Orioles, the Red Sox’s offense sure hasn’t cooled off with the Pirates in town.
