BOSTON -- With a swift flick of his wrists, Roman Anthony hit a rocket to center field that landed deep into the bleachers on Monday night at Fenway Park.
While it is a highlight that will probably be replicated numerous times in the upcoming years, this one was special for MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect because it was his first career homer at home.
Anthony’s two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning left his bat at 106.4 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 418 feet. It was a key hit for the Red Sox in a 9-3 victory over the Rockies in the opener of a three-game series.
“Yeah, it felt great,” Anthony said. “To get that first one out of the way [at home] was great.”
On a night when Anthony added a pair of singles to make it a three-hit game, he also scored from first on a pinch-hit RBI single by Jarren Duran in the seventh. Anthony was off with the pitch and kept on running as Duran also made a good read, swiftly advancing to second as the throw went to home.
Was Anthony expecting to be waved home by third-base coach Kyle Hudson?
“I guess I'm always expecting that until he shuts me down," Anthony said. "So, for me, just knowing what Jarren can do on the basepaths, knowing that as a baserunner when he's hitting that he causes a lot of problems on the bases for the defensive side. So, yeah, I was just running until I got stopped.”
There seems to be no stopping Anthony of late.
After a slow start to his career at the plate (.114 average through June 25), the 21-year-old Anthony has surged with momentum of late, slashing .386/.426/.569 over 47 plate appearances in his past 10 games.
What has changed over those past 10 games?
“I think I’ve just settled in and gotten used to it, day by day,” Anthony said. “I think the game planning has gotten a lot better, but I think the biggest thing is just settling in and being able to get in there and get consistent at-bats and having confidence within myself and trying to help this team win.”
The Red Sox have gotten hot along with Anthony, winning four in a row and six out of seven.
“I think when you play to win like we are right now, it's super contagious,” Anthony said. “You’re just getting up there trying to get a job done and trying to win ballgames. I think it makes you better as a player.”
As Anthony continues to gain momentum, he’s earned the trust of Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who is playing him against both righties and lefties.
This is worth noting amid a stretch in which Boston faced a lefty starter for the third straight night, with a fourth looming on Tuesday in the form of Colorado’s Kyle Freeland.
“I think, right now, playing Roman every day for us is the right move,” Cora said. “He started out hitting fifth, and now, he's hitting second against righties and third against lefties. Like I said on the road, he will play every day.”
The vote of confidence in Anthony comes as another left-handed hitter, Masataka Yoshida, gears up for a return from the injured list on Wednesday.
While Cora will juggle a suddenly deep collection of position players that will add another key component when Alex Bregman returns (perhaps before the All-Star break), Anthony will continue to play.
“He’s a good player, a good hitter and that’s why he’s playing every day,” Cora said. “We’re gonna push him out there. Play the outfield, hit in the top [portion] of the lineup and just try to help him out throughout the process. But he's a good one.”
Romy got all of that one
Anthony wasn’t the only standout player for the Red Sox on Monday. Romy Gonzalez, a lefty destroyer all season, went 2-for-5, including a 454-foot homer to left-center. Gonzalez tied the great Mike Trout for the longest homer at Fenway Park this season.
“Definitely great company; I remember that ball Mike hit was incredible, so it’s great to even be close to that,” Gonzalez said. “I knew I hit it really well. I didn’t think it was going to go that far, but yeah, I put my head down and ran.”
Naturally, the majestic shot came against a lefty, Ryan Rolison. In 73 plate appearances this season against southpaws, Gonzalez has a slash line of .400/.452/.754 with seven doubles, two triples, four homers and 16 RBIs.