The Red Sox will have bigger goals next month when the post-season begins, but if nothing else, on Monday night they made sure the 2018 Red Sox will be remembered in the record books.
The Sox raced out to a four-run lead in the second inning and defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-2, giving them 106 wins this season, the most in franchise history. The previous record of 105 was set in 1912. The win also assured that the Sox will have home field throughout the post-season, as they also clinched the best record in the game.
Mookie Betts continued his torrid streak with a run-scoring double and a solo homer. Four other members of the starting lineup each knocked in a run.
Nathan Eovaldi was sharp in five inning start, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out 10. Eduardo Rodriguez, appearing in relief for the first time this season, retired six of the seven hitters he faced over two innings.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:59 With every appearance here in the final homestand, there stands the possibility that each one could be the last in a Red Sox uniform for some. That's true for those like Joe Kelly, who is eligible for free agency and almost certainly won't be on the post-season roster. Kelly came in for the top of the eighth and promptly allowed a single before sandwiching two walks around a strikeout and being lifted in favor of Ryan Brasier
9:06 That's probably it for Nathan Eovaldi, who's at 84 pitches and was projected to go five innings, giving Eduardo Rodriguez an opportunity to pitch multiple innings in a piggy-back role. Eovaldi had a bit of trouble in the fifth with two hits allowed and two wild pitches and a run allowed. But he fanned 10, didn't allow an extra-base hit and didn't walk anyone, so mark it as a good tuneup.
7:56 It would appear that Mookie Betts is locked in at the plate. Two-run homer into the Monster Seats gives him nine hits in his last 12 at-bats, with seven of the hits for extra bases, including three homers. Because Betts has been either circling the bases or landing at second with doubles of late, it's been a challenge getting him stolen base opportunities to reach 30 for the season and making him a 30-30 guy.
7:48 Brock Holt continues to rake. He just doubled into the left field corner, scoring Steve Pearce from second. He's hit safely in eight straight and is 9-for-19. He's also pushing the slumping Ian Kinsler, who was 1-for-19 on the just-completed road trip, for playing time at second in the post-season
WHO: Red Sox (105-51) vs. Orioles (45-110)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox begin the final homestand of the season with the first of three against the lowly Orioles. Boston is coming off a 2-4 road trip and lost the final two games -- both in 11 innings -- in Cleveland. This season, the Sox are 14-2 against the Orioles, having won four in a row and 10 of the last 11 meetings between the teams. The Sox are still in search of win No. 106, which would establish a new franchise record. It would also result in the Sox clinching the best record, and thus, home field advantage throughout the playoffs...Outfielder Mookie Betts is on a tear, having gone 8-for-11 with two homers and four doubles in his last two games. He also became the first Red Sox player to collect at least four hits -- with three of them extra-base hits -- in consecutive games. Jim Edmonds is the only other player to do it over the last 30 years. The homer by Betts Sunday night also set the record for most leadoff homers in a season - Betts has 31 to Nomar Garciaparra's 30 in 1997. Betts still needs two stolen bases to become the second 30-30 player in Red Sox history...J.D. Martinez still needs one homer to tie Dick Stuart for most homers (42) for a Red Sox player in his first season...The Sox have a .700 winning percentage (49-21) against teams in their own division. That's the highest winning percentage for an A.L. East team since the 1998 Yankees, who finished 1998 at .688...Nathan Eovaldi makes his second start against the Orioles this season. On Aug. 10, he was shelled for 10 hits and eight runs -- though just four were earned -- in 2.2 innings in Baltimore. Eovaldi is coming off a strong start in New York, where he limited the Yankees to two hits and no runs over six innings...Among current Orioles, Chris Davis is 4-for-13 with two homers and three RBI. Adam Jones, meanwhile, is 6-for-17....As for Dylan Bundy, Brock Holt is 8-for-13 with a homer and three RBI and Xander Bogaerts is 9-for-29 with two homers and four RBI...The Orioles have set a team record for most losses in a season though they managed a win in New York on Sunday...The Orioles are 4-6 in their last 10 and sit 59.5 games out of first in the A.L. East.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 3.98) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (8-15, 5.37)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Pearce 1B
Holt 2b
Vazquez C
Bradley CF
ORIOLES
Mullins CF
Mancini 1B
Villar SS
Jones LF
Stewart RF
Beckham DH
Nunez 3B
Wilkerson 2B
Joseph C
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Eduardo Nunez (left hamstring) will be held out for another couple of days, with a possible return to the lineup set for either Wednesday or perhaps Friday. Nunez ran Sunday in Cleveland and was set to run again Monday afternoon. "For repetitions it really doesn't matter to me, but obviously we'd like him to play this week,'' said Alex Cora. "But at the same time, we've got to see how he feels and
- Cora said beyond having David Price go Tuesday and Chris Sale Wednesday, he'll have Rick Porcello in the opener against the Yankees Friday. The starters for Saturday or Sunday are undecided.
- Brock Holt is at second Monday night as Ian Kinsler gets the night off. Kinsler had a brutal weekend in Cleveland, going 0-for-11 in the last two games while getting the ball out of the infield only twice. Cora would like Kinsler to be more aggressive earlier in the count.