Yankees 8, Red Sox 1: The Alex Verdugo Revenge Game

When the Yankees acquired Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox for a trio of minor-league pitchers over the winter, many around the New York fanbase weren’t sure what to make of the deal. He has long since silenced the skeptics with stellar play at the plate and with the glove, authoring the latest chapter in his Yankees story by homering on the first pitch he saw in his return to Fenway to go along with an RBI double in the fifth and RBI single in the ninth. First pitch may have been delayed by 73 minutes, but Luis Gil didn’t seem fazed and continued to shine on the mound as the Yankees took the series opener, 8-1.

The Yankees paced MLB with 57 first-inning runs entering tonight’s contest and that lead widened tonight. Juan Soto flipped a one-out double off the Green Monster to get things started, and after an Aaron Judge strikeout, Verdugo stepped to the plate to a chorus of boos from his former supporters. He wasted no time in answering those jeers, jumping on a first pitch fastball and sending it over the wall in dead center for a two-run blast, and he certainly seemed to enjoy the trot around the bases.

Giancarlo Stanton then walked and Anthony Rizzo singled but appeared to get caught in a rundown trying to stretch it to a double. However, Dominic Smith inexplicably threw home attempting to catch Stanton in a rundown, but the DH had not strayed too far off third and in the end everyone was safe. Although Red Sox starter Brayan Bello seemed agitated, Gleyber Torres let him off the hook by lifting a lazy fly ball to left to strand two in scoring position.

It wouldn’t be the first time Torres killed off an opportunity to widen the lead, the second baseman grounding into a double play in the fourth after Stanton led off with a single and Rizzo followed with a walk. Bello bailed Gleyber out for the GIDP, dropping an easy throw as he covered first on a routine Oswaldo Cabrera grounder, allowing Stanton to score the Yankees’ third run.

An inning later, Anthony Volpe led off with a single before stealing second and third on consecutive pitches. Judge walked to put runners on the corners for Verdugo, who was only getting started on his revenge tour, clubbing a double off the Monster to plate Volpe and move Judge to third.

Rizzo followed with a single to score Judge, move Verdugo to third, and extend the Yankees’ lead to 5-1 — his first multi-hit effort in June and third time on in as many trips. However, Torres once again rolled over a grounder on a center-cut fastball to strand runners at the corners as he would be responsible for all five runners the Yankees left on base.

Gil seemed to be amped up for his start, his four-seamer averaging 98 — 1.5 mph above his season average — and touching 100. He breezed through the first two innings, tallying a strikeout in each, before running into some trouble in the third, allowing a pair of one out singles. However, he buckled down to strand them in place. He had to repeat the escape act an inning later, issuing a pair of walks to open the frame. An Enmanuel Valdez dobule put the Red Sox on the board, but Gil struck out Smith and Ceddanne Rafaela to again strand a pair and limit the damage to just one run.

A laborious fifth inning that included a pair of walks pushed Gil’s pitch count into triple digits, but was still able to unleash a 99-mph fastball on his 104th and final pitch — the most in his career — to get the final out. He ended his outing having given up a run on four hits and four walks to go along with six strikeouts.

The Red Sox bullpen held the Yankees quiet through the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but the Yankees relievers mostly matched them stride for stride. Tommy Kahnle continued to struggle with command, walking a pair but also striking out a pair in the sixth. Aaron Boone then went to Caleb Ferguson with two outs, and the southpaw turned in his best performance in pinstripes, striking out all four batters he faced in the sixth and seventh to preserve the 5-1 edge. Victor González got the first two outs of the eighth, allowing bullpen revelation Michael Tonkin to record the final four outs including a pair of strikeouts.

New York treated us to one final offensive outburst in the ninth. Jose Trevino lifted a one-out solo shot into the Green Monster seats, his seventh of the year. Soto then drew a two-out walk, coming around to score from first on a Judge double off the Monster in left-center. As a final flourish on his night, Verdugo laced a single on the ground to the right, plating Judge for his third hit and fourth RBI on the night as the Yankees cruised to victory, 8-1.

Carlos Rodón will look to guarantee at least a series win going tomorrow against Cooper Criswell. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15pm ET with FOX carrying the broadcast.

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