Alex Verdugo wasn't the only Red Sox player who parked a significant home run Monday night at Fenway Park.
Enmanuel Valdez's first Major League Baseball round-tripper gave Boston a lead in the sixth inning of its eventual walk-off win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Valdez obliterated a 94 mph José BerrÃos fastball, sending it 427 feet into the center field seats. The 24-year-old, who became a fan of the Red Sox as a youngster, excitedly let out a triumphant scream and pumped his fist as he took a home run trot for the first time in his young career.
From the tape-measure shot to Valdez's exuberance, the memorable scene brought a great deal of joy to Boston manager Alex Cora.
"Loved it," Cora told reporters, per MLB.com. "Just enjoy it. I mean, it's a bomb. Your first one and what it means, it was fun to watch him run the bases."
Valdez's dinger was the last Red Sox home run Cora saw in real time in the series opener against the rival Blue Jays. Boston's skipper actually missed Verdugo's walk-off bomb while he prepared the club for potential extra innings.
The Red Sox will go for another win over the Jays on Tuesday night. NESN's full coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET.
