The Detroit Tigers jumped on rookie Jalen Beeks for five runs in the first and another in the third, spoiling the lefty's major league debut and cruising to a 7-2 victory, snapping the Red Sox' four-game winning streak.
Beeks was tagged for a two-run single by John Hicks and a two-run homer by Leonys Martin and needed 33 pitches to get out of the first. He settled down some after that and retired the last five hitters he faced, but was pulled after four innings.
Andrew Benintendi continued his torrid stretch with a homer in the bottom of the first, his fourth homer in the last five games. The Sox scratched out their only other run in the fifth on a double by Blake Swihart, a wild pitch and a groundout. They finished the night a woeful 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won four in a row and 15 of their last 20 and sit 24 games over. 500, and are 5-0-1 in their last six series. They have a chance to record their sixth series sweep of the season. Tonight will mark two milestones: the major league debut of LHP Jalen Beeks and the first start of the season behind the plate for Blake Swihart. The Tigers, meanwhile, continue to struggle on the road with a 9-20 mark away from Comerica Park.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Jalen Beeks vs. LHP Matthew Boyd (3-4, 3.23).
TV/RADIO: NESN, ESPN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
9:11 Brian Johnson has done a nice job in relief -- in fact, it's his best outing in some time -- retiring all nine hitters he's faced, with five groundouts and three strikeouts. But while Johnson tries to keep it close and buy time for the Sox to get back into this one, the Red Sox offense has just two hits over the last four innings.
8:24 That's all for Beeks, who leaves after four innings, allowing six runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Some hard-hit balls off him, for certain, fur a lot of the damage in the first was the result of a fly balls that landed off or just over the wall.
8:11 Strange that, as the Red Sox trail 6-1 in the third inning -- with another run in this inning and a baserunner in scoring position -- that the Sox don't yet have anyone up in the bullpen.
7:33 Andrew Benintendi's last few weeks have been incredible. In the last 27 games, he's hit 10 homers. He's hit eight in his last 17 games and four in the last five. And in the 11 games that he's replaced Mookie Betts at the top of the Red Sox lineup, he's hitting .373 with 10 extra-base hits.
7:20 This is not, it should go without saying, how Jalen Beeks dreamed it would be. He's down 5-0 seven batters in, having just surrendered a two-run homer to Leonys Martin. The pitch in question wasn't a bad one -- a four-seamer at the very bottom of the strike zone. But there had been traffic before that, too, with a walk and three hits.
RED SOX
Benintendi CF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez RF
Moreland 1B
Nunez 2B
Travis LF
Devers 3B
Vazquez DH
Swihart C
TIGERS
Jones LF
Castellanos RF
Cabrera 1B
Martinez DH
Candelario 3B
Hicks C
Martin CF
Iglesas SS
Machado 2B
NEWS AND NOTES
- Originally, Blake Swihart was going to get his first start of the season behind the plate Saturday, but Alex Cora changed his mind and opted for Swihart tonight, catching Jalen Beeks in his major league debut. The change was made in part because Cora wants Sandy Leon to catch Chris Sale Friday and Rick Porcello Sunday, and didn't want Christian Vazquez to go three days without catching.
- Cora also gave Jackie Bradley Jr. a day off, so had an outfield of Sam Travis in left, Andrew Benintendi in center and J.D. Martinez in right. This marked the first start at Fenway in right field for Martinez. "It was either Sam in right field or J.D. in right,'' said Cora, "and J.D. has played here before (as a visiting player).''
- Mookie Betts was scheduled to do some work on the field to test his left abdominal strain. Betts is eligible to come off the DL Friday, but probably won't be back in the lineup until Monday in Baltimore.