Masataka Yoshida goes 2-for-4 with RBI in Red Sox debut
BOSTON -- Not much went right for the Red Sox on Opening Day. But at least Masataka Yoshida had a pretty good day at the plate.
Boston's prized free-agent signing was 2-for-4 with an RBI out of the cleanup spot in his Red Sox and Major League Debut. He hit a pair of singles Boston's 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.
Yoshida also got his first taste of Boston weather, with temperatures in the 30s along with a biting wind.
"It was cold," Yoshida told reporters after the game. He added through his interpreter: "It was cold, but my heart was burning."
It took Yoshida three plate appearances to pick up his first Major League hit, as the Japanese export came through in the bottom of the sixth with a sharp RBI single up the middle that Baltimore second baseman Adam Frazier couldn't handle.
Yoshida's first hit cut Baltimore's lead to 8-3 at the time.
He picked up another single in the bottom of the eighth, scorching a Bryan Baker offering into right field. Yoshida later scored on a two-run double by Christian Arroyo to cut Boston's deficit to 10-7.
Yoshida was up again in the bottom of the ninth with Boston trailing 10-8 with runners on the corners and one out. He hit what should have been a game-ending double play to Jorge Mateo, but the Baltimore shortstop made an errant throw to first base that allowed Alex Verdugo to score, making it a 10-9 game. Boston's Adam Duvall then struck out on three pitches to end the game.
In his first MLB at-bat, Yoshida grounded out to second base to end the bottom of the first. It was a seven-pitch at-bat that saw him foul off three pitches before grounding out.
Yoshida reached base in his second at-bat after getting plunked by Orioles starter Kyle Gibson in the bottom of the fourth. He was stranded on third when Arroyo grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Boston signed Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal in the offseason.
