Tyler O’Neill showed his abilities in nearly every facet of the game during his Boston Red Sox debut on Thursday night.
In the team’s 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners, O’Neill got the start and right field and held his own defensively. Breaking out a janitor throw in the first inning also didn’t hurt in the effort department for the Boston outfielder.
On the base paths, O’Neill stole a bag and ran on contact trying to score from third on a Ceddanne Rafaela fielder’s choice. The throw from Seattle’s Josh Rojas ricocheted off of O’Neill’s helmet as he slid across the plate, tallying the first of two runs he would score on the night.
His biggest impact came when the 28-year-old made history with a solo home run in the eighth inning. O’Neill became the only player to homer on five consecutive Opening Days.
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“I just want to be up there making sure I see the ball,” O’Neill told NESN’s Jahmai Webster after the win. “Making sure I’m comfortable in the box. Gotta stay patient up there. They were kind of pitching around me a little bit. That’s all good. It’s part of the game. I just wanted to get something over the plate that I could handle. The rest took care of itself.”
O’Neill rewarded manager Alex Cora for the Opening Day nod, contributing to a momentum-filled victory.
“The reason he was playing was to split the lefties,” Cora shared after the game, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “He’s a really good player. He’s been putting good at-bats the whole spring. Taking his walks and stealing bases. We know he can hit the ball out of the ballpark.”
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O’Neill and the Red Sox look for a second-straight win on Friday night against the Mariners. First pitch is set for 9:40 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
Featured image via Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports Images
