Red Sox second baseman ‘makes adjustment’ mid at-bat, bashes go-ahead homer
SEATTLE — Enmanuel Valdez took a big swing on a 94.1 mph fastball that Mariners starter Bryce Miller left near the middle of the plate. He missed it.
The Red Sox second baseman then reset after a check swing.
“I made an adjustment in the same at-bat,” Valdez said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “I thought I was going a little bit too fast. … I said to myself I wanted to make good contact, put the ball in play and then that happened.”
Valdez shortened his swing and blasted a three-run homer to right field on a 94.1 mph fastball. He gave the Red Sox a 4-1 lead with two outs in the fourth inning. Boston won 5-1 over Seattle to salvage a split of the four-game series at T-Mobile Park.
“When I did the check swing, I talked to myself to calm myself a little bit,” Valdez said.
Valdez’s blast had a 105 mph exit velocity.
“He was long on the second pitch (the swing and miss) and then short on the last one,” manager Alex Cora said. “That’s what we’re looking for. You’ve got to stay humble. Sometimes when you’re humble, big things happen.”
Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock said about the homer, “It was a huge momentum shift. He lit us up in the dugout.”
Valdez started all four games at second base during the first series with offseason trade acquisition Vaughn Grissom (left hamstring strain) on the injured list.
Valdez finished strong with Boston in 2023. He went 15-for-45 (.333) with a .375 on-base percentage, .556 slugging percentage, .931 OPS, two homers, four doubles, eight runs, eight RBIs, three walks and 10 strikeouts in 16 games for Boston during the final month.
“The kid, he can hit,” Cora said. “That’s why he’s playing. Just get on top of that one, was short to it and put a good swing on it.”
