Roman's "Empire" Established: Red Sox Rookie's Bronx Debut Ends with a Home Run and a Bat Flip

When Roman Anthony swung his bat at a high, deep fly ball to right field, he executed a bat flip from the left side that would make Red Sox legend David Ortiz proud.

In the top of the ninth inning of today’s Red Sox-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium, Anthony seemed to release all the frustrations the Red Sox had endured in 19 previous innings with runners in scoring position — a two-run homer that helped his team win 6-3 in the first game of the four-game playoff contender series.

This was Anthony’s first time playing in the Bronx in his career, and the moment was so wonderful that he couldn’t maintain his usual composure.

Anthony unusually relaxed and savored the flight of the ball, which left the bat at an initial speed of 107.4 mph, traveling an estimated 370 feet according to Statcast, landing in the second tier of the right field stands.

It was his fifth career home run but his first time flipping the bat.

“Yeah, just enjoying the moment, enjoying a win,” Anthony said. “I usually don’t do that, but it just happened.”

And just like everything Anthony does, it seemed perfectly fitting.

Because in a painful 11-inning loss on Wednesday, the Red Sox went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners stranded.

After a day off on Thursday, that frustrating issue resurfaced when Anthony stepped up with two outs in the ninth inning, with Boston having already left 14 runners on base without scoring, hitting 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position, yet somehow still leading by one run.

Somehow, it was the 21-year-old Anthony who kept his cool and delivered the game-winning hit. How does he manage to stay so composed in any situation?

“Honestly, he might be the most mature 21-year-old I’ve ever seen in baseball,” said Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman. “Honestly, I’m trying to find something he’s done wrong. We don’t know if he has any bad habits or anything. He just handles everything with class. This moment is never too big for him. He knows who he is. He knows what he’s good at. He stays consistent and executes.”

It’s rare to see Anthony get out, which is impressive for a rookie.

“The ability not to chase bad pitches gives you confidence,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He’s always in control of the situation. He works hard every day. This kid wants to be the best on the field. Today, we got everything we needed from him.”

In this back-and-forth game, it was Anthony who tied the score at 3-3 with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Did playing at Yankee Stadium meet his expectations?

“Yes, it was probably just like I imagined, maybe even more,” Anthony said. “I love playing in that kind of atmosphere. I like being heckled. I like everything about it. We know it’s a rivalry game, and that’s exciting.”

This is a rivalry that stirs hostility among Yankee Stadium fans toward any Red Sox player who stands in the way of their team’s victory.

When Anthony stood in right field, not far from the “bleacher creatures,” he felt that hostility.

“Much more than I expected. But it’s good. It’s fun,” Anthony said.

Besides Anthony’s heroic performance, Nathaniel Lowe — making his second start for the Red Sox — delivered an RBI double to right-center field in the seventh inning to put his team ahead. In the two innings before that, Lowe had tied the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Although in the past three years, the Red Sox have only been fringe playoff contenders when they last came to Yankee Stadium late in the season, this year they are in the hunt, making Thursday’s win — and Anthony’s heroics — feel even more significant.

With a 69-59 record, Boston trails the Yankees (69-58) by half a game for the AL wild card and is five games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays (74-54).

“At this point in the season, every win is crucial,” Anthony said. “So to come here and take the first game, we’re hoping to build on that and come back tomorrow to get the job done again.”

After playing one game at Yankee Stadium, Anthony looks forward to the other three games this weekend.

Following a recent eight-year, $130 million contract extension starting next season, Anthony will have more trips to the Bronx in his future.

His teammates are eager to see what other great performances he will deliver.

“It’s incredible,” said Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito, who gave up five hits and three runs with three walks over 4.2 innings. “There’s really nothing else to say. I mean, he’s unbelievably mature for his age. His at-bats are very professional, and he made an impact when we really needed him.”