Masataka Yoshida crushes first Major League homer, hopes to get the ball back some day
BOSTON -- Another night, another milestone for Masataka Yoshida. While the Red Sox ultimately lost to the Pirates at Fenway Park, 7-6, on Monday night, Yoshida crushed the first homer of his Major League career in the loss.
Yoshida had some 20-homer seasons but wasn't particularly known for his power in Japan, hitting just 135 homers over 762 games for the Orix Buffaloes. But he showed off plenty of pop Monday night, launching a 96.2 mph fastball from Pirates starter Johan Oviedo 390-feet into the Monster seats in the bottom of the first. The two-run blast -- an opposite field shot by Yoshida -- tied the game at 3-3.
Welcome to the big leagues, Masataka Yoshida! pic.twitter.com/0A4gdZXqjD
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 3, 2023
That let Yoshida show off his home run trot to Red Sox, as everyone enjoyed the new celebratory light show at Fenway Park. It was one of three light shows in the bottom of the first, as Rafael Devers and Triston Casas also launched homers for Boston in the inning.
The celebration didn't end at home plate. When he got back to the dugout, Yoshida's teammates had some inflatable weights waiting for the him.
The rest of the game didn't go so well for the Red Sox. After Boston went up 5-3, the Pirates scored four runs over the next three innings and held on for the 7-6 victory. And to make matters worse for Yoshida, he didn't even get the ball back from his first career homer.
It was the first game for the young fan who ended up with the ball, and they didn't want to give up their souvenir. Negotiations with the fan are ongoing.
"I hope that ball is coming back one day," Yoshida said through a translator. "Obviously today we lost. That's more disappointing."
What hasn't been disappointing is Yoshida's bat in the Boston lineup. He's batting .294 out of the cleanup spot through the team's first four games, driving in five runs and scoring five of his own.
And on Monday, he showed some pop in his bat.
"We know he can do that," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Yoshida's homer. "He's going to go the other way. He's going to use the wall. He's a good hitter."