Tokyo, 31 March, /AJMEDIA/
Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida went 2-or-4 with an RBI in his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, but the team suffered a 10-9 Opening Day loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
His first hit, a single up the middle in the sixth inning off left-handed reliever Keegan Akin, scored Rafael Devers from second base to cut the Orioles’ lead to 8-3 at Fenway Park in Boston.
oshida, batting cleanup and playing left field, added a single to right in the eighth.
“I’m relieved rather than happy,” the 29-year-old said of his first two career hits. “I was deeply touched when I heard the U.S. national anthem. I’m not satisfied by just being on this stage, but I have to thank many people.”
Yoshida, a two-time batting champion with the Orix Buffaloes in the Pacific League, signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox, the highest ever for a Japanese position player when making the move from Japan to the United States.
