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CLEVELAND — The Red Sox introduced their “Wally Head” home run celebration at the start of 2025. Connor Wong hadn’t homered since September 8, 2024. Saturday, then, represented a momentous occasion for the catcher.
With the game tied, 1-1, in the sixth inning and a runner on second, Wong got a pitch to hit from Guardians reliever Matt Festa and crushed it to left field toward the top of the 19-foot fence at Progressive Field. Wong — and everyone else in a sellout crowd of 35,740 — thought the 108.3 mph, 380-foot blast was a homer. So Wong rounded the bases, entered the visitors dugout thinking he had made the game 3-1, and for the first time, had the Wally head bestowed upon him.
As Wong collected high fives from teammates, the umpiring crew huddled. There would be a crew chief-initiated review to see if the ball had left the field. After a few minutes, it was ruled a double — not a homer — and made the score 2-1.
Wong had been the victim of a False Wally.
“It sucks that was taken away, but we got the win, so it was OK,” Wong said.
Major League Baseball’s official ruling was that the ball hit the top of the yellow line on the wall and “struck an area of the field that is in play.” Marcelo Mayer still scored and the Red Sox would never sacrifice the lead in a 9-1 win.
Wong was still quite confused after the game.
“I still think it was a homer,” he said. “I wish I could challenge it myself.”
Even though his 91-game homer-less streak extended to 92, Wong was still key to Boston’s win over the Guardians. Playing for just the fourth time in 19 days, Wong went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, plating two more runs with a line drive single off reliever Will Dion in a six-run Red Sox ninth. It was his third three-RBI game of the last two seasons.
“Hasn’t played in a while,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “Just a really, really good performance from a guy that hasn’t gotten a ton of ABs and put some quality (ABs) out there for sure.”
Wong entered the season as the backup behind Carlos Narváez, who had taken the starting job from Wong last summer. Wong earned some early starts under Alex Cora with a strong showing at the plate in late March but had hit just .162 (6-for-37) in his last 14 games before Saturday. With Mickey Gasper emerging as Tracy’s preferred option against righties, Wong’s playing time decreased even more.
Starter Sonny Gray enjoyed throwing to Wong in two of his last three outings, so Tracy gave Wong a rare start at Progressive Field. In addition to producing offensively, Wong helped Gray navigate a tough start to his outing and get the win with six strong innings that included seven strikeouts.
“I thought that was a homer, first of all. I don’t know how it wasn’t,” said Gray. “I was happy for him. He’s great back there. To hit the homer that wasn’t a homer to give us the lead and then add on in the ninth, that’s huge.”
Wong is no longer the clear-cut starting catcher like he was in 2023 and 2024, or even the top backup now that Gasper is expected to start most games against righties. The Red Sox, though, still believe in Wong’s bat — and that he’ll eventually hit a homer that stands.
“Tough, because I know he hasn’t had one in a while,” said Tracy. “But still a big swing, a big hit in a big spot.”
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