The Red Sox kicked off the interleague three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night with a win at Citizens Bank Park, but for Masataka Yoshida, it was more than just a regular baseball game.
Yoshida had the opportunity to play against his idol — Bryce Harper.
Harper made his season debut at home after having Tommy John surgery just five months ago and went 1-for-4 from the plate. Across the field, Yoshida extended his Major League Baseball-best hitting streak to 15 games and didn’t appear to be star-struck in the Red Sox’s win.
On Saturday, Yoshida met Harper for the first time with the designated hitter gifting the rookie with two bats, one of which was used in last year’s National League Championship Series and a pair of autographed cleats. According to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Yoshida admitted he was nervous about meeting Harper.
The bats and cleats should go well with the other items Yoshida has bearing the name Harper, including the custom-made shirt made for his dog, which he named Harper, that Yoshida posted on his Instagram, which features Harper’s initials on the handle. Yoshida also posted a picture of himself with the MVP in his Instagram story.
The Red Sox take the field against the Phillies on Saturday night in the second game of interleague play. Harper is expected to make his second straight appearance at home while Yoshida gets the night off for Boston.
First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET and will air on Fox.
