BOSTON — Alex Verdugo had hit 21 career home runs at Fenway Park before Friday, but his 22nd will likely mean even more.
In his first game back since being traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees, Verdugo hit the first pitch for a two-run home run.
The outfielder, who was booed by the home crowd when he came to bat, enjoyed trotting around the bases.
After he struck out Brian Bello with a home run, he celebrated by pounding his chest, bending over and yelling into the Yankees dugout.
Verdugo said before the game that he had the series on his calendar because he’d been with the Red Sox the past four years.
He was initially upset when he was traded to the Yankees in December, but quickly grew to enjoy playing for a rival team.
“I am a fervent believer [that] “Everything happens for a reason, good or bad,” Verdugo said. “I feel like this trade happened for a reason, and looking back, it was good for me.”
The home run was Verdugo’s ninth of the season, putting him on pace to break his previous career high of 13.
