After stranding runners in the seventh and eighth innings, the Boston Red Sox once again had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth.
Wilyer Abreu made sure his team didn’t come up empty for a third frame in a row.
With two men on and one out, Abreu crushed a slider 110.7 miles per hour to right. The ball sailed over the fence for a no-doubt home run, putting the Red Sox on top 5-2 late in Thursday’s Opening Day showdown with the Texas Rangers.
That was Abreu’s second homer of the afternoon, as he also went yard in the fifth. He finished the day 3-for-3 with four RBIs, three runs and nine total bases, accounting for half of Boston’s hits in their season-opening win.
According to Underdog Fantasy’s Justin Havens, Abreu is only the seventh player in Red Sox history to hit multiple home runs in a single Opening Day contest. Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez were the franchise’s last players to do so, with both of them achieving the feat in 2015.
Abreu finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, on top of winning a Gold Glove. He hit .253 with 15 home runs, 33 doubles, 58 RBIs, eight stolen bases, a .781 OPS, 16 defensive runs saved and a 3.4 WAR across 132 games.
The 25-year-old hit just .174 with a .517 OPS in September, though, and he stayed cold by going 1-for-20 in the Cactus League this spring. Abreu had been battling an illness since February, dropping nearly 20 pounds along the way.
In spite of the weight loss, Abreu put plenty of power on display in a win on Thursday.
Abreu, the Red Sox and the Rangers are scheduled to return to action Friday at 8:05 p.m. ET.
