Tyler O'Neill crushed the longest homer of his career in Red Sox win over Rockies
BOSTON -- Red Sox fans have seen Tyler O'Neill crush baseballs all season. The Boston outfielder sent two more into the stands at Coors Field in Colorado on Tuesday, including the longest homer of his career.
O'Neill's two blasts helped propel the Red Sox to a much-needed 6-0 win, the team's first out of the All-Star break. His first home run of the night came in the first inning with the Red Sox already on top 1-0. Rafael Devers had just doubled in Jarren Duran to put Boston on top, when O'Neill sent a Ty Blach offering 437 feet into the centerfield stands.
His second blast required a few more tape measures to get its distance. With Boston up 5-0 in the top of the third, O'Neill got to Blach again, sending a moonshot beyond the left field seats and into the concourse. That blast traveled 465 feet with an exit velocity of 112.9 mph.
O'Neill's 2nd HR of the game and 20th HR of the season! pic.twitter.com/zIMb32ftZC
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 24, 2024
That's the longest home run of O'Neill's seven-year career, besting the 463-foot homer that he hit with the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2021 season. His two homers on Tuesday -- which put O'Neill's total at 20 dingers on the season -- covered a total of 902 feet.
"I'm just trying to barrel the ball up there," O'Neill told reporters after the win, via RedSox.com. "It felt good. I can't complain."
While it was certainly impressive, O'Neill's lengthy blast in the third isn't the longest of the season for the Red Sox. That honor belongs to Rafael Devers, who crushed a 467-foot homer against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park back on June 25.
Devers was still impressed with O'Neill's round-tripper Tuesday night, calling it "incredible" through his translator.
"I'm impressed every time I get to see his home runs," said Devers, who leads Boston with 23 homers on the season. "Sometimes I'm hitting behind him. Sometimes I'm on base. But every time he hits the ball, I'm very impressed. Never is it a cheap home run. They're always very deep home runs."
O'Neill is on a tear since returning from the All-Star break, going 10-for-23 at the plate with four homers and seven RBI. Tuesday night was his second two-homer game over that stretch.
O'Neill will try to send some more tape-measure homers into the Colorado air Wednesday afternoon as the Red Sox look to take the rubber match of their three-game series against the Rockies.