[WATCH} Masahiro Yoshida hits TWO home runs in the same inning including a Grand Slam

 

Masataka Yoshida has already made some mechanical adjustments at the plate during his rookie season with the Boston Red Sox after starring for years in Japan.

They certainly paid off Sunday.

Yoshida homered twice during Boston’s nine-run outburst in the eighth inning as Boston rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 12-5. He became the first Red Sox player to go deep twice in one inning since Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz in August 2008.

 

“I talked to the hitting coach about my mechanics and hitting form, and I found a better one,” Yoshida said through a translator. “I feel more comfortable right now.”

Yoshida is the fourth rookie in major league history to hit two home runs in an inning and the first since Joe Pepitone for the New York Yankees in 1962, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Yoshida twice led Japan’s Pacific League in batting before signing a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox. He entered Sunday batting just .213 with one homer in 16 games, but the 29-year-old showed in one inning just what he’s capable of accomplishing.

Justin Turner and Yoshida started the eighth with back-to-back homers off Matt Bush (0-1) that gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead. Yoshida then capped the inning with a grand slam off Javy Guerra that landed in the second deck of right-field seats.

Yoshida, who finished with six RBIs, became the fifth Red Sox player to homer twice in one inning, The others were Ortiz, Nomar Garciaparra (2002), Ellis Burks (1990) and Bill Regan (1928).

“This is a really good, good day for me,” said Yoshida, who improved his average to .231. “Still, we are in the season, the beginning of the season. I’d like to keep preparing, keep playing hard.”

Boston bounced back after blowing an early 3-0 lead to move above .500 and win the weekend series. The Brewers’ loss enabled the Pittsburgh Pirates to overtake them for the NL Central lead.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise by now,” Turner said of the way the Red Sox responded in the eighth. “We’ve seen it all year. It doesn’t matter what the score is. These guys don’t give anything away. They keep fighting and clawing, taking good at-bats. We’re never out of a game.”

 

Source: https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2634801