Rocco Baldeley, the manager of the Minnesota Twins, grew up in Rhode Island supporting the Red Sox and playing with them towards the end of his career. So he knows better than anyone that the legend of Ted Williams is untouchable in Boston.
However, he emphasized, “I don’t understand how a human can hit the ball and send it farther than Miguel Sano.”
On Wednesday, Sano hit 495 feet at home, the longest this season in the major leagues, falling 7 feet from the Williams peg, known as the “red bench” that has lasted until then. Venue and officially considered the longest running in Fenway Park’s 100-year history.
After Kyle Schwarber crashed a penalty kick in the ninth round as Boston recovered from a four-stroke deficit, Josh Donaldson and Jake Cave blasted the wall in the tenth. Thus, the twins defeated the Red Sox 9-6.
Sanó’s home run in the third inning became Fenway’s longest since Statcast began recording their distance in 2015. He left the field, crossing the 379-foot mark at the edge of Green Monster Square. He traversed a 37-foot (11.27 m) wall, four rows of high benches, a walkway behind them, and a 6-foot fence behind.
“Miguel is a big, strong guy. When he hits them, he sends them away,” Donaldson said. “I think that should count for two.”
Donaldson and George Polanco returned for the second game in a row as Minnesota ended their four-game losing streak. The twins were ahead 4-0 before Boston scored a seventh-placed, eighth-placed goal, and tied Homer Schwarber’s twice from Alex Collum (4-4) in the ninth inning, postponing the game.
Schwarber has made three successful strikes for Boston, who maintains a game-and-a-half advantage over Oakland, who have settled, in their wild card battle in the MLS playoffs.
Dominican Hansel Robles (3-5) took the loss. He waived four earned runs, three hits and one walk, plus two write-offs.
For the Twins, Dominican Jorge Polanco 4-1, two-stage, RBIs, and Miguel Sano 5-1, one record, produce one. Venezuela’s Luis Araz 4-0.
For the Red Sox, Enrique Hernandez of Puerto Rico 6-3, two runs, one RBI, and Cristian Vazquez 5-2, one RBI. Dominican Rafael Devers 3-0.
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