What Red Sox-Dodgers Series Means To Outfielder Alex Verdugo

BOSTON — Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is in a similar situation to that of Dodgers star Mookie Betts this weekend.

Like Betts, Verdugo hasn’t shared the diamond with his former team since playing with Los Angeles in 2019. The two headlined a blockbuster trade in 2020, meeting for the first time in Betts’ long-awaited return to Fenway Park on Friday night.

“I think you always wanna do good against the team that traded you,” Verdugo said after Boston’s 7-4 loss to the Dodgers. “For me, I haven’t seen these guys since ’19 so I wouldn’t say I was like looking forward to it waiting, counting down the days. But it’s just something that, seeing them here just felt a little bit different and just a little bit more adrenaline going through.

“… It makes me reminisce of like when I first got drafted to them and kind of going through as like a kid and growing and seeing how far I’ve kind of came from just there. So, it’s a weird feeling, I don’t really know how to explain it. At the end of the day, I’m excited to compete against that team, I’m excited to go up there and be in that situation to help the Red Sox win.”

From the get-go, the energy was visible within Verdugo.

The 27-year-old went yard on the very first pitch served from Los Angeles starting pitcher Lance Lynn, getting Boston on the board early.

Verdugo was at his animated peak when he rounded first base backward to look at the Red Sox dugout as he started a three-run rally in the first two innings. He finished the losing battle 3-for-5 as Boston fell flat all around, going just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, unable to hang with Los Angeles’ elite lineup.

Yet, the signs point in a positive direction as Verdugo (like the Red Sox), looks to hit a late-season turning point.

Verdugo is hitting .500/.500/.833 during his last five games, going 12-for-24 with two home runs, two doubles and four RBIs. He’s also recorded three-plus hits in four of his last eight games, hitting .436 throughout that stretch.

“He’s in a good place,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained. “… I love the fact that he’s been aggressive in that first pitch of the game. That’s something we always talk about. It’s not easy to hit down in the count and a lot of teams were going right after him. And he understands what he needs to do to give that at-bat for the team, but he can actually do that, 1-0 us and we’ll take (that) at-bat with one pitch.”