Alex Verdugo strikeout as lasting image of Yankees' meltdown is ideal Red Sox revenge

The Boston Red Sox received a picture-perfect ending to the 2018 World Series. Chris Sale ended the game with a triumphant strikeout of Manny Machado, who ended up on his knees after his big final swing.

The Red Sox also got a flawless ending to the 2024 Fall Classic — and they weren't even playing.

The Los Angeles Dodgers stymied the New York Yankees and took home the 2024 World Series in five games. LA secured the win at Yankee Stadium as Walker Buehler fanned former Red Sox Alex Verdugo.

Verdugo was sent to the Yankees as part of a rare trade between the Sox and their rival. His season began on a high note and he embraced the "villain" role the Yankees usually play. It didn't end well, though, as his later season performance wasn't great, and he'll be remembered as the final out of New York's first World Series appearance in 15 years.

Former Red Sox Alex Verdugo struck out to secure the Yankees' World Series loss

His Red Sox tenure also didn't end positively. Reports of tiffs between Verdugo and Boston's skipper Alex Cora left the outfielder with a poor reputation among Red Sox fans. Now, he'll enter free agency after the least productive season of his career and a tough look in the World Series.

No moment better embodies the outcome of the Mookie Betts trade for the Red Sox. Betts won his second title with the Dodgers — more than he ever won in Boston — and the player the Sox traded him for struck out to hand it to him.

But the Yankees losing their first World Series berth since 2009 helps mitigate some of the pain, especially after Verdugo's early-season confidence.

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