NEW YORK – One thing that has been evident about MLB Pipeline No. 8 prospect Marcelo Mayer is that he likes the lights.
Perhaps none are brighter than the ones that tower over Yankee Stadium, and that was fittingly the venue for Mayer’s first career homer in Friday night’s 9-6 loss in the Bronx.
Twelve seasons ago, another top Red Sox shortstop prospect named Xander Bogaerts mauled his first career homer at Yankee Stadium. Mayer is playing third in his initiation to the Majors, but he will surely wind up at his natural position at some point.
In the top of the fifth inning, Mayer got all of a 1-1 fastball from Yankees right-hander Will Warren and mashed it to the bleacher creatures in right-center for a solo homer.
The only bittersweet thing about the moment was that the Red Sox trailed 7-0 before Mayer got his team on the board.
“It was a good feeling,” Mayer said. “Obviously, it kind of sucks when you're losing, but it’s definitely a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life.”
After hitting the no-doubter, Mayer admired the flight of the ball for a second before going into his first MLB home run trot.
If not Fenway for his first homer, could he have picked a better spot than Yankee Stadium in his first career rivalry game?
“Yeah, 100 percent,” said Mayer. “If not here, then Petco because that’s where I’m from.
“I think every, every single athlete dreams about being in this rivalry. So to be in it is a really good feeling,. Obviously, like I said, getting a ‘W’ would have been better, but we'll bounce back tomorrow.”
Though Mayer’s homer didn’t spark a comeback, it gave the Red Sox some much-needed energy as they turned what was a rout at one point into a competitive game.
“Shoot, we made a game out of it,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He got us going. He put a good swing on the ball.”
In an unconventional sequence of events, Cora had Romy Gonzalez pinch-hit for Mayer against lefty Brent Headrick an inning later. Gonzalez promptly roped a two-run single down the line in left.
“I actually talked to [Mayer],” said Cora. “We needed to pinch-hit there. That’s a balance between developing the player and winning the game. It felt right there to pinch-hit for him. Like I told him, I don’t know if it’s going to be this season, [but] at one point in his career we’re not going to pinch-hit for him. I made sure to let him know that. Because he’s very important in what we’re trying to accomplish, he’s part of the future and he’s a good player.”
Mayer was able to get the home run ball back as a souvenir, trading a signed bat and ball with the fan who retrieved it.
Mayer, who was called up for his debut on May 24 following the right quad injury suffered by Alex Bregman, hit his first career blast at an exit velocity of 103.3 mph and a Statcast-projected distance of 410 feet. Per Statcast, it would have been a homer in every MLB venue except Oracle Park in San Francisco.
It was a good feeling for Mayer to come through, as he was hitless in his seven previous at-bats and came into the game with a .507 OPS.
“Yeah, I think I just did a better job today of being on time,” said Mayer. “I felt really good in my first at-bat, and then I got something good to hit in my second at-bat.”