Alex Cora Applauds Alex Verdugo For His ‘Best Game Of The Season’

Alex Verdugo has been a key contributor for the Red Sox this season, and manager Alex Cora gave him high praise Friday night.

Boston beat the Cleveland Guardians, 6-3, at Progressive Field, thanks to a clutch performance from Christian Arroyo. Verdugo had a chance to add to the lead in the top of the eighth inning with a bases loaded situation. However, the left fielder’s line drive was snatched by Andrés Giménez for the final out of the inning. Despite that, Cora felt Verdugo had a complete game.

“I told him this is, kind of, the best game of the season for him, regardless of the results,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “He was patient. He worked the count, hit the ball the other way. The last one, obviously, the kid (Giménez) made a great play, but as far as the quality of the at-bats, tonight was the best night of the season.”

Verdugo batted 2-for-5 on the night and brought in one RBI. The three outs weren’t easy ones for the Guardians; they went 94.1 MPH, 98.8 MPH and 100.6 MPH, per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.

Verdugo and the Red Sox remain hot in the month of June — winning five straight — as they hope to pile up wins on their nine-game road trip.