Wilyer Abreu had an impressive night as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cincinnati Reds, finishing with a score of 13-6.
The Red Sox outfielder went 5-for-5, hitting a grand slam and bringing in five runs overall in Boston’s victory. Interestingly, what Abreu achieved hasn’t been recorded in the major leagues since Roger Maris did it back in 1958.
During the fifth inning, with Boston leading 7-4 after a strong first inning, Abreu stepped up to the plate against relief pitcher Joe La Solsa. He belted a towering fly ball that soared over Fenway Park’s deepest spot—420 feet from home plate in the center field “triangle.”
Initially, Abreu thought he had a clear home run as he took a moment at the plate to appreciate the hit. However, the ball hit off the central wall, causing a scramble that sent him sprinting.
The throw from the shortstop to Ellie de la Cruz came too late for a relay to home plate, allowing Abreu to slip in for an inside-the-park home run.
Later, in the eighth inning, with the bases loaded and the score at 9-5, Abreu faced a 99 mph fastball from reliever Connor Phillips. He made solid contact, launching the ball into the Boston bullpen for a grand slam.
This moment marked a bit of MLB history.
As mentioned, the last player to achieve both an inside-the-park home run and a grand slam in the same game was Yankees legend Maris in 1958. Abreu is now the sixth player to pull off this rare feat.
“When I hit the ball, I thought it was a home run,” Abreu reflected after the game. “But when I saw it heading toward the track, I worried it might not clear the wall, so I took off running. Thankfully, it didn’t leave the park, and I managed to hit an inside-the-park home run.”
In doing so, he’s made his mark in baseball history.
