4 hours ago
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ESPN News Services
Jun 9, 2025, 11:49 PM ET
BOSTON -- Roman Anthony was successful Worcester, waiting for the 275-mile autobus thrust that would instrumentality him to Allentown, Pennsylvania, for his adjacent Triple-A game, erstwhile WooSox manager Chad Tracy told the squad their departure would beryllium delayed due to the fact that idiosyncratic mightiness request to caput an hr eastbound to Boston instead.
"I didn't truly deliberation thing of it, to beryllium honest," Anthony told reporters successful the Red Sox dugout astatine Fenway Park earlier going 0-for-4 successful his large league debut successful Boston's 10-8, 11-inning loss to Tampa Bay connected Monday night.
"I was conscionable benignant of waiting astir successful the nutrient country with a fewer of the guys, and past each of a sudden, helium came retired and conscionable said, 'Hey, you're going to the large leagues,'" Anthony said. "From determination connected retired it's benignant of been a small spot of a blur. But it was amazing. You imagination of that each azygous day. So, to yet perceive it was decidedly awesome."
Anthony made his MLB debut astatine property 21 years, 27 days; he's the youngest Red Sox subordinate to debut since Rafael Devers, who was 20 years, 274 days aged connected July 25, 2017, according to ESPN Research.
In May, Anthony was ranked arsenic the No. 1 imaginable successful baseball, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
Anthony, who played close tract and batted fifth, received the biggest cheer of each during pregame introductions and past a lasting ovation from the assemblage of 31,422 erstwhile helium came to bat successful the 2nd inning, with a runner connected archetypal and cipher out. He popped up to near tract and got different cheer arsenic helium returned to the dugout.
In the third, helium whitethorn person been robbed of his archetypal large league deed erstwhile helium lined a shot up the mediate that deed pitcher Shane Baz -- astatine 111 mph. It deflected to the 3rd baseman, who made the propulsion to archetypal for the out. Anthony besides struck retired looking with runners connected archetypal and 2nd successful the 3rd and walked successful the seventh.
In the ninth, with the assemblage again connected its feet, helium came up with runners connected 2nd and 3rd and deed a hard bouncer up the mediate for an RBI groundout. He was owed to pb disconnected the 11th, but manager Alex Cora pinch-hit for him against left-hander Ian Seymour.
"It was bully to yet instrumentality the field, hide astir each the extracurricular sound and conscionable beryllium capable to instrumentality the tract with the guys," helium told reporters afterward. "Unfortunate we couldn't get a win, but it was a bully acquisition -- bully to conscionable get the archetypal 1 implicit with."
Anthony fielded 2 balls easy successful close tract -- a brace of singles successful the 4th inning -- but successful the 5th helium fto a rolling shot spell nether his mitt for a two-base mistake that led to an unearned run, giving Tampa a 3-0 lead.
"It conscionable can't happen," helium said. "It's pugnacious erstwhile you suffer a crippled similar that, you consciousness similar that's the crushed we mislaid -- small things similar that. Just got to larn from it and beryllium better."
A 21-year-old second-round draught pick, Anthony went viral implicit the play erstwhile helium hit a 497-foot expansive slam successful Worcester. He batted .288 with 10 homers and 29 RBI successful 58 games successful Triple-A this season.
His accomplishments successful the minors had Red Sox fans clamoring for his call-up. But portion chap prospects Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer got the call, the Red Sox remained diligent connected Anthony until an wounded to Wilyer Abreu near them needing different outfielder.
Cora said helium noticed thing was incorrect with Abreu aft Sunday's crippled against the Yankees. When the squad realized it would beryllium much than a time oregon two, they decided to marque the determination and enactment Abreu connected the 10-day injured database with a near oblique strain. The Red Sox made country for Anthony connected the 40-man roster by designating archetypal baseman/outfielder Ryan Noda for assignment.
"We're trying to triumph ballgames," Cora said. "The kid has done an astonishing occupation getting acceptable for this moment. We're excited. It's a large time for the organization."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
