'Special for sure': Tearful parents see Anthony hit 2-run double for first career knock

BOSTON -- MLB Pipeline No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony waited until his cheering section arrived before delivering his first Major League hit.

After going 0-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in his much-hyped debut on Monday night, Anthony wasted no time delivering a knock on Tuesday night in the Red Sox’s 3-1 win over the Rays at Fenway Park.

In his first at-bat, Anthony laced a 1-2 changeup by Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot down the line in left for a two-run double to break a scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the first.

As the hit found a patch of grass and rolled to the Green Monster, Anthony’s parents and two siblings – sitting right next to the Red Sox dugout – stood and clapped excitedly. Roman’s mom, Lori, cried while witnessing her son’s accomplishment.

“That group out there has been with me every step of the way,” said Anthony. “So just to see them here, I know they had to miss yesterday because, unfortunately, it was kind of quick notice, but to have them here was special for sure.”

Though Anthony was too busy playing baseball to get his mom some tissues, surely she came prepared.

“Yeah, she gets emotional for sure,” said Anthony. “It’s awesome just to have them here and to see them right there by the dugout.”

It turns out that was a surprise.

“I didn’t really talk to them much [during the game],” Anthony said. “I didn’t even notice they were there until I went up for my first at-bat. Nobody really gave me that heads up that they were going to be that close.”

The energy and emotion provided by the Anthony contingent was contagious.

“The organization does an amazing job just taking care of families,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “Just for them to be around, and to see their smiles, and you saw some tears, too, it’s pretty cool. I know it was a special day for the kid yesterday, but they weren’t here. To have his family there tonight to see him get his first knock, I know it means a lot.”

Following the game, after his media obligations were done, Anthony had his entire traveling party on the field for a celebration.

“I think it'll hit me more tonight,” Anthony said. “When you're in the game, you hit it, you get on second, you’ve just got to lock back in and find a way to score. It doesn’t really hit you until the game ends and I’m there with my family on the field.”

With a smooth opposite-field stroke, Anthony smacked the pitch at an exit velocity of 92.4 mph. The pitch was well outside of the strike zone, but Anthony reached out with his bat and knew what to do with it.

"Yeah, I threw him three in a row. He swung and missed at one,” said Pepiot. “Tried to go again lower and then threw one off the plate. When you set him up away, away, away the whole time, he just kind of slapped it the other way. Tip your cap on that one."

Anthony's double was on a pitch 1.30 feet from the center of the plate, the furthest outside pitch hit for an extra-base hit by a Red Sox batter since Rafael Devers' home run on July 7, 2024 (1.50 feet from center).

“Obviously, I had seen [the pitch] a few times there, and game planning going into it, knowing that he's got a good changeup. But really, it wasn't so much I was sitting on it,” Anthony said. “It was more trying to pass the baton and get it to the next guy.”

The 21-year-old Anthony’s arrival to the Red Sox had been anticipated for weeks before coming to fruition on Monday, as a roster spot opened up when starting right fielder Wilyer Abreu suffered a left oblique strain and had to be placed on the 10-day injured list.

It remains to be seen which outfield position Anthony will play when American League Gold Glove Award winner Abreu returns. But in the meantime, the kid plans on proving there is more to his game than his bat.

In the sixth, Anthony swooped in on a sinking liner and took a hit away from Jonathan Aranda with a sliding catch.