BOSTON -- Xander Bogaerts stepped from the shadows with a huge home run on Saturday, and on Sunday, he showed that he wasn't going anywhere.
After sealing the Red Sox's 6-2 win over the Blue Jays with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning on Saturday, Bogaerts crushed a solo home run in the first inning of Boston's 5-2 win against the Blue Jays on Sunday at Fenway Park.
"That was special," Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said. "You know, back-to-back at-bats, obviously, going back to last night. You know, he got us some early momentum, and it was a lot of fun to see."
On a 1-1 pitch, Bogaerts ripped Marcus Stroman's 93-mph fastball an estimated 423 feet, clearing the Green Monster and reaching the street. The homer had a 110-mph exit velocity, according to Statcast™.
It gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead, and the offensive spark they needed.
Bogaerts struggled earlier in the season as he recovered from an ankle injury. But now, it appears he is hitting his stride. And Bogaerts is relieved to be back at full strength.
"It's amazing what can happen when you're healthy," Bradley said. "Trying to play through injuries is difficult. It gets hard enough, but to do it while you're hurt, it doesn't turn out well too often."
The homer was Bogaerts' 16th, extending his hitting streak to six games. It marks the fourth time this season Bogaerts has hit a home run in consecutive games.
"I think it's nice to help contribute," he said.