Dustin Pedroia’s contributions to the Red Sox can’t be measured by statistics alone. The scrappy 5-foot-9-inch second baseman set a standard for gritty, hustling play on both offense and defense. But if you go by the numbers, he measures up there too.
Breaking in
Sitting 6.5 games behind the first-place Yankees (directly following a shocking five-game sweep by New York at Fenway), and driving into their first non-playoff season in four years, the Red Sox called up Dustin Pedroia from Triple A Pawtucket for the opener of a nine-game West Coast trip in Anaheim. Pedroia started at shortstop on Aug. 22, 2006 (one of just five career starts at SS for the California native [Woodland]). Pedroia lined into a double play to shortstop in his first AB, stroked a single to center field off lefty Joe Saunders for his first hit in the fourth, and struck out swinging to end the sixth. With the Red Sox trailing, 4-3, in the ninth, against star closer Francisco Rodriguez, manager Terry Francona pinch hit for Pedroia leading off the ninth with Manny Ramirez (who left the previous game with hamstring tightness). Ramirez flied to deep center, and though the Sox put two men on, Rodriguez closed it out by retiring Kevin Youkilis on a fly out to center.
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Pedroia’s milestone homeruns
HR No. 1
• Sept. 9, 2006, at Fenway Park
• Pitcher | Royals RHP Luke Hudson
• Type of HR | Solo
• Inning | 4th (0 out)
• Count | 3-2 (9th pitch of AB)
• Direction | Over the Green Monster
• Note | It came in his 14th career game and 42nd at-bat.
HR No. 100
• May 2, 2014, at Fenway Park
• Pitcher | A’s RHP Ryan Cook
• Type of HR | Grand Slam
• Inning | 6th (1 out)
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• Count | 0 and 2 (3rd pitch of AB)
• Direction | Deep to left-center
• Note | It was the second of his four career grand slams.
HR No. 140 (final)
• Sept. 9, 2017 (11 years to the day of his first HR), at Fenway Park
• Pitcher | Rays RHP Matt Andriese
• Type of HR | Two-run
• Inning | 1st (0 out)
• Count | 2-1 (4th pitch of AB)
• Direction | Deep to left-center
• Note | Pedroia’s 139 HRs as a 2B (1 as a DH) rank second among Red Sox behind Bobby Doerr’s 223.
More coverage
- After battling injuries for three seasons, Red Sox great Dustin Pedroia announces retirement at 37
- Dan Shaughnessy: Theo Epstein and Terry Francona have the highest praise for Dustin Pedroia
- Looking back at Dustin Pedroia’s injury-plagued final years with the Red Sox
- Dustin Pedroia’s greatest moments with the Red Sox
- ‘He played with a little chip on his shoulder’: Dustin Pedroia’s former teammates, managers react to his retirement
- Dustin Pedroia opens up about Red Sox career and retirement: ‘I wish I enjoyed it a little more at the time’
Daigo Fujiwara can be reached at daigo.fujiwara@globe.com. Follow him @DaigoFuji. Sean Smith can be reached at s_smith@globe.com