TORONTO — Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida had just two home runs (one against a position player) this season before blasting a 399-foot solo shot off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer during the fifth inning Wednesday.
“That feeling, (the) home run, that’s something I’ve kind of forgotten,” Yoshida said through translator Yutaro Yamaguchi. “It finally came back. So I’m really glad.”
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The Red Sox won 7-1 over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Yoshida stroked an RBI double in the first inning to make it 1-0. His solo home run in the fifth increased Boston’s lead to 4-0.
It was Yoshida’s fourth straight two-hit game. He has had six multi-hit games in his past eight games. He’s Boston’s hottest hitter right now.
“I think it all comes down to being aggressive in the zone from the first pitch,” Yoshida said. “And I think I’m able to put the bat path underneath the ball and back spin it and make hard contact. So I think that’s the key.”
Yoshida struggled after he returned in July from major offseason shoulder surgery. He went 32-for-141 (.227) with a .279 on-base percentage, .326 slugging percentage and .605 OPS in 43 games from July 9-Sept. 13. But he’s 13-for-32 (.406 batting average) with three doubles and one home run in his past eight games.
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Asked if he feels like he’s about to go on an extended hot streak, Yoshida replied, “Honestly, I’m not sure. But any way I can help the team, that’s my mentality.”
The @redsoxstats X account noted after the win that 20 of Yoshida’s last 33 batted balls have been hard hit.
“The guy can hit,” Cora said. “He was banged up and that’s the reason he wasn’t hitting the ball in the air. Last year, he had a major surgery. It took him a while to get going. He’s getting the at-bats and now he’s hitting in the middle of the lineup.”
All of Yoshida’s last seven starts have come in the cleanup spot.
“This guy has done it before,” Cora said. “He did it in Japan. He won championships. He carried the offense over there. And right now he’s doing an amazing job for us.”
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The 32-year-old said he’s been putting in some early work.
“I’ve been getting into the clubhouse early, working with the hitting coaches,” Yoshida said. “Thanks to them. I’m really thankful for putting that work in every day. And I think I’ve been able to show what we’ve been working (on), in the cage, on the field.”
Yoshida is excited about getting his first taste of the MLB postseason. Boston’s magic number to clinch a postseason spot is down to two, meaning any combination of Red Sox wins and Astros losses totaling two will secure their playoff berth.
“Even during the (regular) season, the fans are electric,” Yoshida said. “But I’ve talked to a lot of people here that have experienced the playoffs — what it feels like to play playoff games at Fenway. And everybody’s been saying it’s going to be really electric. So I’m really excited.”
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