Alex Verdugo clutch at-bats lead the Red Sox to huge win over the Yankees
The Red Sox win over the Yankees on Saturday night arguably might be their biggest win of the season. Alex Verdugo provided the late inning theater with the game-winning single.
Verdugo first provided a huge game-tying single in the eighth inning off reliever Clay Holmes. The Yankees closer has been lights out this season. Verdugo’s hit sparked life back into the Sox lineup.
Then in the bottom of the 10th, with two runners on, Verdugo singled to right field. Rookie Jeter Downs scored the game winning run as the Fenway Park crowd went wild.
“To keep fighting back and forth, man, it was one of those games where it just needed to be us,” Verdugo said.
“When we play these guys, it’s high intensity,” Verdugo said. “The rivalry is there. We want to win.”
“You could kind of hear it even today,” Verdugo said. “Yankees fans chanting and chanting. It was just really loud for the Yankees. It felt like Boston was getting overpowered by Yankees fans. It was one of those things where, for me, it was like, we’ve got to get this back. This is our house. This is where we play. This ain’t their field.”
The Verdugo walk-off hit gave off vibes of Bill Muellers huge walk-off homer back in 2004. As you may or may not remember, the Red Sox were only eight game above .500 prior to Mueller’s walk-off and his homer changed the narrative of the season.
“Dugie’s swinging the bat well,” said manager Alex Cora. “He’s staying on pitches. He has been clutch for us lately. Got a good pitch to hit, goes the other way. Then he worked the count to his advantage and put another great swing. It was a good day for him.”
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