Mike Yastrzemski channels family history to power SF Giants over Red Sox at Fenway

BOSTON — Since the jewel box ballpark opened in 1912, there had been 238 instances of a Yastrzemski depositing a baseball on the other side of one of Fenway Park’s fences.

All but one of them belonged to Carl Yastrzemski, who slugged the final homer of his Hall-of-Fame career in 1983, seven years before his only grandson was born. Four decades later, Mike Yastrzemski carried on his family lineage’s on this turf, increasing the count to 239 to power the Giants’ 3-1 win Thursday afternoon over the Red Sox.

Sending a knee-high cutter from Red Sox starter Josh Winckowski into the Boston bullpen beyond right field in the third inning, Yastrzemski gave the Giants their first run and the only one they were able to scratch across until rallying for two more in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie.

Making it even more special, the home run came on the same day Yastrzemski’s Hall-of-Fame grandfather paid a rare visit to Fenway Park. After rounding first base, Yastrzemski gestured to the right field seats, then pointed to the sky as he touched home plate.

The Giants salvaged a win in the series finale to avoid a sweep and improve their record at Fenway Park to 3-8 all-time, but they hardly solved their offensive woes. The three runs held up behind a five gritty innings from Kyle Harrison, who issued five walks and hit a batter but allowed the Red Sox to turn that into only one run.

It has still been more than a week, dating back to last Tuesday, since the Giants last eclipsed three in the scoring column.

Yastrzemski, meanwhile, only continued to heat up playing in the ballpark that he holds a familial connection.

His home run was the second he’s hit here, having also gone yard during his first visit as a rookie in 2019, and he improved to 6-for-20 with three extra-base hits, four RBIs and six runs scored all-time at Fenway Park. All three of his home runs this season have come in the past 11 games, over which he is batting .379 (11-for-29).

Up next

In the middle of 16 straight games — their longest stretch without a day off this season — the Giants head next to Philadelphia, where they begin a four-game series Friday. Jordan Hicks (2-0, 1.59), Keaton Winn (3-3, 3.18) and Logan Webb (3-2, 2.98) are scheduled to get the ball in the first three games against Aaron Nola (4-1, 3.20), Ranger Suarez (5-0, 1.32) and Taijuan Walker (1-0, 8.53) before the Giants must again decide what to do in Blake Snell’s rotation spot.