When the Cleveland Indians intentionally walked J.D. Martinez to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, Alex Verdugo said it gave him some “extra fire.”
Moments later, with two strikes and two outs, Verdugo laced a single to deep right that plated pinch-runner Taylor Motter and lifted the Red Sox to a 4-3 win at Fenway Park.
“I took it personal,” Verdugo said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
According to RotoWire, the lefty Verdugo is hitting .328 against righties and .208 against lefties. With southpaw Alex Young on the mound, Red Sox manager Alex Cora took his chances and trusted Verdugo to deliver.