Postseason star Verdugo: 'I live for this'
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochBOSTON -- Alex Verdugo already had two run-scoring hits, including a homer, as he raced toward the visiting bullpen at Tropicana Field in the sixth inning of Friday's Game 2 of the American League Division Series. He was in hot pursuit of a towering Nelson Cruz foul, nearly tumbling over a short wall as he secured the ball.
The brighter spotlight of October baseball doesn't agree with everyone, but thus far, Verdugo seems built for it. The 25-year-old has been a Red Sox difference-maker with his bat and glove, stroking six hits through 13 playoff at-bats (.462) and driving in five runs, including Tuesday's third-inning homer off the Rays' Collin McHugh.
"I¡¯m not nervous at all. I live for this,¡± Verdugo said. ¡°It¡¯s still baseball, you know what I mean? The surroundings and fans and the noise outside of it are a lot different, with how much media is on the field before the games and all that, but for me -- I just play my game. Baseball is baseball, and let's not make it more complicated than that.¡±
It¡¯s an approach that has always worked for Verdugo, and that wide-eyed enthusiasm has endeared him to his new manager, teammates and fan base.
Acquired from the Dodgers in a blockbuster February 2020 trade that sent superstar outfielder Mookie Betts to Southern California, Verdugo brims with a confidence that gives the Red Sox a reason to feel similarly about their future. This year, Verdugo slashed .289/.351/.426 (106 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 13 homers and 63 RBIs in 146 regular-season games.
¡°I think Alex learned a lot this season,¡± Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ¡°He did an amazing job, especially late in the season. ¡ He will hit for power with time. I think those doubles are going to turn into home runs, as long as he doesn't try. We like the fact that he can hit doubles; he can hit for average. We can hit him anywhere in the lineup.
¡°He has been able to control the at-bats, and he has been a joy to watch. I think physically he is going to get better. He is going to get stronger.¡±
Verdugo also stroked two hits with three RBIs in Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game against the Yankees, suggesting he might have the ¡°it¡± factor that autumn play demands.
Watch Verdugo around the batting cage or in pregame drills, and he¡¯s hardly champing at his cuticles. Verdugo even spent a few minutes before Friday's game bantering about a potential future on the mound, hoping to follow Shohei Ohtani¡¯s lead as a two-way player.
¡°He might throw a bullpen [session] tomorrow,¡± Cora quipped.
To secure the Cruz foul, Verdugo had to cover 96 feet in 5.7 seconds, according to Statcast -- his spikes digging hard into The Trop¡¯s artificial surface.
¡°I felt like I had a good jump,¡± Verdugo said. ¡°You mainly try to beat it to the spot, so you try to run as hard as you can to the wall and just kind of get there and give [yourself] some time. I knew it was a low wall, so I knew I would be able to reach over and have a little extra reach to it. I wasn't sure if I was going to hit a fan, but it just happened to be perfect.¡±
Verdugo later added his third hit in the contest, and a postgame journey to The Trop¡¯s interview room provided an opportunity to show off again.
Dangling from the outfielder¡¯s neck was a weighty square necklace that appeared to feature a bed of diamonds, glittering in the television lamps. It included the words ¡°Bendici¨®n¡± (Spanish for blessing), ¡°Verdugo¡± and a hidden image of SpongeBob Squarepants on the back.
¡°Just my little tribute to Boston,¡± Verdugo said. ¡°I love this team; I love this city. It feels like since I got traded here, it¡¯s just kind of taken me in. I love the way the fans are. It can get tough -- you don¡¯t perform, they get on you, but I love that. I love that fight, man.¡±
As the baseball world learned with Larry Walker¡¯s induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, no one who rocks SpongeBob can take himself too seriously. That light-hearted lift might be just what the Red Sox need.
¡°It tells me to cheer up, to keep going,¡± Verdugo said. ¡°I like jewelry. And I love Boston.¡±