Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu, facing deep personal emotions, delivered one of his most memorable performances in the majors. Just a day after his grandmother passed away in his native Venezuela, Abreu hit two home runs in the Red Sox’s 7-2 win against the Texas Rangers on Sunday in Arlington.
Following his first home run, which tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning, Abreu was seen wiping away tears, with his teammates and Red Sox coach Jason Varitek offering comfort and support through hugs.
Abreu added a three-run homer in the sixth inning to extend the Red Sox’s lead to four runs. David Hamilton later contributed a solo home run in the eighth inning, bringing the final score to 7-2.
The 25-year-old Abreu finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Despite striking out twice, his two-home-run game, especially given the emotional weight, was the standout highlight.
Abreu, who had never hit multiple home runs in a single game before, dedicated his performance to his late grandmother. “It was a tough situation,” he said through a translator after the game. “I played for her and dedicated this game to her. I gave it my all, and it felt very special.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained his decision to keep Abreu in the game, noting, “Sometimes you make decisions based on the metrics, but I felt something good would happen. It’s life; we’re not perfect. I think the Lord rewarded him.”
So far in the 2024 MLB season, Abreu is batting .275/.337/.519 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs over 262 at-bats.
Abreu’s performance helped the Red Sox secure the series against the Rangers, having won the opener 11-6 before losing the second game 7-4. Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits with five strikeouts. Rookie Cam Booser earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out 11 of his 14 pitches.
With this latest win, the Red Sox have improved to a 59-51 record. They remain 6.5 games behind the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles but are now just 2.5 games out of the AL wild-card race.