The Red Sox snapped their four-game losing streak Tuesday night and Alex Verdugo played a part in helping make that happen.
Sure, his 2-for-4 night with three runs certainly helped lift Boston to a 9-4 win over the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park, but it was what happened before the first pitch was even thrown that helped spark the slumping Red Sox.
Verdugo took it upon himself to lead a team meeting amid the team’s recent struggles.
” … It wasn’t about anything bad or anything specific. It was just, ‘Win or lose, boys, let’s go out and bring the energy.’ Let’s not get down. Let’s not put the pressure on us,” Verdugo told WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “Let’s root for the guys in front of you and behind you and get on the same page of just playing the ball, man. The whole year we have played it hasn’t been just one game carrying the team. It has been everybody contributing. Everybody firing and helping out.
“For me, it was the first time I had ever called for a players’ meeting or anything like that so I was obviously pretty nervous at first. But I think the guys really liked it and I think everything was good. Like I said, just some in-house stuff. We’re with each other a lot so I felt like we should be able to speak up and talk to each other as a team. Just kind of right this ship a little bit.”
After the meeting — which took place after Tuesday’s batting practice — Verdugo began the first inning with a broken-bat dribbler that he hustled out with a little help from a bobble by Colten Wong. The Red Sox responded by scoring four runs.
Verdugo was called out by manager Alex Cora at the end of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, telling reporters they were going push him “to get back to play faster, to play quicker.” The message clearly was received judging by his .303/.378/.491 slash line and his 35 runs are tied for third-most in the league.
The Red Sox look to carry the momentum into Wednesday’s finale against the Mariners. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on NESN.
