BOSTON — In case Alex Verdugo understated what his return to Fenway Park meant to him, his trip around the bases in the first inning Friday night said it all.
Six months after the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees, leaving him initially upset but eventually happy, Verdugo crushed the first pitch he saw for a two-run blast against his old team.
Verdugo, booed by the home crowd when he walked to the plate, enjoyed an emphatic home run trot, which included pounding his chest, flexing and yelling at the Yankees dugout in celebration.
It was just the beginning of Verdugo’s big night, propelling the Yankees to an 8-1 over the Red Sox in front of a lively 35,024.
In a series he had circled on his calendar for months, Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBIs.
He said before the game his first trip back to Fenway Park was both “special” and “weird,” but he also made it memorable with his performance.
“I feel like this trade happened for a reason,” Verdugo said Friday afternoon. “Looking back at it, it was better for me.”
It was also better for his chances of winning, as the Yankees (50-22) won for the 13th time in their last 16 games to bolster their standing atop the AL East.
Luis Gil continued his breakout season by throwing five innings of one-run ball, despite needing a career-high 104 pitches on a night when his command was not particularly sharp.
But he received plenty of run support thanks in large part to Verdugo.
After taking Brayan Bello deep in the first inning for a 406-foot shot to center field, Verdugo added an RBI double off the Green Monster in the fifth to extend the Yankees lead to 4-1.
Then in the ninth, after Jose Trevino homered and Aaron Judge roped an RBI double, Verdugo shot a single through the right side to make it 8-1.
By the end of the night, the Yankees fans in attendance were all barking at Verdugo in what has become his signature celebration.
Following a four-year tenure with the Red Sox (35-35), in which he seemingly wore out his welcome by the end of it, Verdugo has been a strong fit with the Yankees — both on the field and in the clubhouse.
“I’m just able to be myself,” Verdugo said. “I’m able to show the guys — these guys, they’ve played against me for years and they understand what I bring when I’m out there between the lines. Now they’re seeing it all the way around. I think they just really like the energy that I bring.
“I’m just 100 percent me.”
Manager Aaron Boone made it clear to Verdugo right after the trade went down that he wanted the outfielder to come in and be himself.
His personality wasn’t something the Yankees shied away from, instead believing that it was something they were missing.
“We have a standard and an expectation,” Boone said. “But at the same time, we want you to be who you are.
“He’s just funny and he’s got a little edge to him. He’s just kind of fit in right away and been able to really be himself.”
After watching Verdugo have plenty of nights like Friday as a Red Sox, Boone, Judge and Anthony Rizzo had all campaigned for the Yankees to acquire him.
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Knowing that helped Verdugo settle in quickly and provide the impact he has so far on both sides of the ball.
Shortly after the trade, though, Verdugo created a bit of a stir in his first media availability as a Yankee when he mentioned seeing how Boone has his players’ backs — “Instead of airing people out, have their backs,” Verdugo said.
That was perceived by many as a dig at Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who had benched Verdugo twice last season for a lack of hustle and showing up to the park late before a game.
But on Friday, both Verdugo and Cora talked about any issues they had as water under the bridge.
“Dugie’s a good kid,” Cora said. “I think people are making too much of nothing. … We have a good relationship.”
Verdugo, who shared a hug with Cora on the field during batting practice, echoed that sentiment and then blamed the media for overblowing the saga.
“I think there were just a couple minor things that we bumped heads on and that’s fine,” Verdugo said. “Not everybody is going to always agree on things. But really, I got nothing but respect for AC.
“I’m a little tired of talking about AC when we’re talking about the Red Sox because of the way it ended. We’re still friends.”