Red Sox

Watch: Kiké Hernandez, Alex Verdugo rob 2 Rays home runs in back-to-back innings at Fenway Park

The Red Sox defense responded after a porous showing on Sunday against the Rays.

Red Sox CF Kike Hernandez makes the catch on a second inning ball hit by the Rays Luke Raley that was headed for the Boston bullpen. The Boston Red Sox hosted the Tampa Bay Rays in a regular season MLB baseball gamer at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox defense took three Rays runs off the board on Monday. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

By Conor Ryan

A day after Alex Cora ripped the Red Sox’ disastrous defensive showing against the Rays, Kiké Hernandez and Alex Verdugo committed some outfield larceny to take three Tampa runs off the board.

Hernandez, slotted back out to his usual spot in center field, kept Monday’s makeup game at Fenway Park scoreless in the top of the second inning. With a runner on first, Luke Raley clobbered a first-pitch slider from Brayan Bello that sailed toward the triangle in center.

But Hernandez timed his catch perfectly, snagging the ball before it landed in the Sox bullpen for a two-run homer.

It was a welcome sight for Hernandez, who has gone through his fair share of defensive struggles this season at shortstop (a league-leading 13 errors). Christian Arroyo’s return from the IL on Monday allowed Hernandez to move back out to center.

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Not to be outdone, Verdugo bailed out Bello in the following frame. Francisco Mejía nearly golfed a slider just past Pesky’s Pole, but Verdugo reached into the stands (and past the arms of a fan) to steal away the potential solo shot.

According to Sports Info Solutions Baseball, there have already been 32 home-run robberies through the first two-plus months of the 2023 season. Monday’s marked the fourth and second career home-run robberies for Hernandez and Verdugo, respectively. 

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