Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo comes through in the clutch

Alex Verdugo has delivered for the Red Sox in clutch moments

Alex Verdugo knew he crushed the pitch, the only question was whether it would travel far enough to leave the deepest section of right field. He paused momentarily to watch as the ball sailed over the bullpen and into the bleachers to put the Boston Red Sox ahead 5-4 in the eighth inning of Monday’s victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Verdugo casually flipped his bat and skipped down the first base line as he unleashed a triumphant roar while emphatically pounding his chest in the direction of his ecstatic dugout and the energized Fenway crowd. He wasn’t taunting the opposing team or trying to show up their pitcher. This was a genuine reaction to a clutch moment from a passionate player.

We can hardly blame Verdugo for taking a brief moment to admire that majestic shot. Especially since it’s his first home run since June 15. Still, he admitted to reporters after the game that he would have been forced to sheepishly hide under a rock if his two-run blast had fallen short.

“I’m not going to lie, I said to the guys, ‘If that wasn’t going out, that would have been one of the most embarrassing moments ever,’” Verdugo said about watching it, per MassLive.com. “Right off the bat I felt like I got that one good enough. I felt like I barreled it. The right launch angle, everything. So if that didn’t go, I would have been devastated. I would have just crawled into a little corner and stayed there.”

There shouldn’t have been any doubt that the 414-foot missile had plenty of distance, just as there is no doubt about Verdugo’s ability to come through in clutch moments.

Verdugo had been sputtering through a slump this month that resulted in the Red Sox dropping him down in the order but his bat has awakened during the current homestand. He’s 7-for-19 at the plate over his last five games at Fenway.

His double leading off the eighth inning broke up Domingo German’s no-hitter on Sunday, igniting an epic five-run rally to stun the New York Yankees. Verdugo had some more eighth-inning magic the next night against the Blue Jays with his game-winning homer.

In large part due to the heroics of Verdugo, the Red Sox have risen back to the top of the American League by overcoming late deficits in consecutive games to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Boston how has 33 comeback wins, the most in the majors this season.

Verdugo coming through in the clutch is nothing new, as his split stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference can attest. He’s batting .370 with two outs and runners in scoring position, .337 in one-run games and .314 in tie games this season. His .227 average in 44 at-bats deemed Late & Close is underwhelming but he owns a strong .370 OBP and .802 OPS in those situations with a pair of home runs and 12 RBI. Verdugo is also batting .333 with a 1.041 OPS in High Leverage situations.

His overall production doesn’t jump off the page but Verdugo has few weaknesses. He gets on base at a solid clip and has modest power. He’s an aggressive base runner but an intelligent one with enough speed to swipe the occasional bag. His glove performs well above-average at either corner outfield spot.

Verdugo is a good all-around player and yet his best traits aren’t easily measured by statistics. He has heart, he’s passionate and he lives for the big moments. No player on this club was more excited than Verdugo about fans returning to Fenway. He’s fueled by the crowd’s energy and welcomes the pressure of producing in a tight contest. Every championship-caliber team needs a spark plug who can energize the team and deliver in clutch moments. The Red Sox have that player in Alex Verdugo.