Xander Bogaerts drove in every run and David Price tossed seven scoreless innings as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 4-0.
Bogaerts delivered the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, then added a three-run homer into the center field bleachers in the eight to provide the Sox with a cushion.
Price, meanwhile, turned in the best outing of the season for a Boston starter, allowing just three hits with no walks while fanning seven. It was the first outing of six or more scoreless innings from a Red Sox starter since Price's effort in the ALCS-clinching win in Houston last October.
It was also the second shutout of the season for the Red Sox pitching staff.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox and Orioles have each won a game -- 7-6 Red Sox, Friday night; 9-5 Orioles on Sat.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (0-1, 6.00) vs. LHP John Means (1-1, 2.08)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
3:52 Didn't think that ball had much of a chance off the bat, but it kept carrying and landed in the CF bleachers for a three-run HR for Bogaerts, providing much needed insurance.
3:46 Pearce hits for himself against the RHP Josh Lucas. Mitch Moreland available on the bench, and in any other situation, probably would have hit there. But with Benintendi out of the game and Bradley unavailable with the flu, Moreland is the last position player on the bench and Cora probably wants to hold somebody back for extra innings.
3:24 That's all for Price, who goes seven scoreless without walking anyone and allowing just three hits. Best start of the season for a Red Sox starter
3:02 Couldn't have been more routine, and yet Orioles SS Richie Martin throws wildly, allowing Pedroia to reach second and Pearce to go to the third.
2:31 Price through five shutout innings now, having allowed just two baserunners -- a second-inning single and a throwing error on the part of Devers. This start is every bit as good as Rodriguez's Friday night.
2:18 Deep sacrifice fly to the edges of the warning track for Xander Bogaerts, scoring Pearce from third easily and moving Martinez from second to third.
2:15 Almost effortless Wall double by Martinez, who flicks a ball to left. He's reached in all 16 games and hit safely in 15 of them.
2:08 Vazquez makes a bullet throw to third to catch Joey Rickard attempting to steal; he's 2-for-5 on baserunners this season.
2:00 Andrew Benintendi fouls a ball off his right foot, hard, needs a couple of minutes to recover. A few pitches later, stings a ball to left, and after initially looking like he was settling for a single, turned it on -- a little -- and got himself a double,
1:45 David Price retires the side in order for the third. He's allowed just one hit in the first three innings. This is only the third time this season that a Red Sox starter didn't allow a run in first three IP.
1:38 Sox blow a first-and-third, no out opportunity and come up empty.
1:36 Strange decision by third base coach Carlos Febles to not send J.D. Martinez on a flyball to medium RF. Mike Rikard's throw ended up being way off-line toward 1b dugout.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Benintendi LF
Betts CF
Pearce 1B
Martinez RF
Bogaerts SS
Pedroia DH
Nunez 2B
Devers 3B
Vazquez C
ORIOLES
Villar 2B
Rickard CF
Mancini RF
Nunez DH
Smith Jr. LF
Alberto 3B
Davis 1B
Sucre C
Martin SS
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are coming off a 9-5 loss Saturday...They've scored five or more runs in each of their last four games and have homered at least once in eight of their last nine, including their last five...The Sox have 16 homers in 15 games, three more than they hit through the first 15 games last year...Despite Saturday's loss, the Sox are 20-4 in the last 24 against the Orioles...J.D. Martinez has reached base in each of his 15 games this season and hit safely in 14 of them. He has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six) this season...Mookie Betts has reached base in his last 26 games against the O's, hitting .352 with a 1.109 OPS and 20 extra-base hits including six homers in that span...Jackie Bradley is hitless in his last 11 at-bats, while Steve Pearce doesn't have a hit in his last eight at-bats...Christian Vazquez has hit in three straight. On Saturday, he had a career-high four RBI...David Price has won his last seven starts against Baltimore, dating back to 2016. Prior to Price, the last Red Sox pitcher to win seven straight starts against the Orioles were Jon Lester (seven from 2008-2009) and Joe Dobson (10 from 1946-48)...In 28 career games against the O's, Price is 15-5 with a 2.78 ERA. He's never thrown fewer than five innings or allowed more than five runs against them...The Sox have won 12 of Price's last 13 starts at Fenway...Joey Rickard has had success (5-for-14) against Price while Trey Mancini is 4-for-16 with two homers and four RBI and Chris Davis is 11-for-43 with two homers and five RBI...The Sox have very little history against Means. Martinez has one at-bat in his career against him --a three-run homer.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Andrew Benintendi was originally getting a day off with J.D. Martinez in left, but two hours before game time, Jackie Bradley Jr. was scratched because of the flu, putting Benintendi in left, Mookie Betts in center and Martinez in RF.
- Dustin Pedroia is back in the lineup, playing his second straight game for the first time this season, but as DH, not at second base. "We've got to be careful,'' Cora said. "He understands that we've got to be careful. But at the same time, there's a lefty on the mound, so we've got to take advantage of that. He's moving well at second.'' Cora said Pedroia is still adjusting to major league pitching. "He'll be there,'' said Cora. "He's been disciplined in the (strike) zone. He's going to put the ball in play and there's going to be a lot of traffic in front of him. When he gets (his timing), he's going to be a force.''
- RHP Hector Velazquez will get a spot start on Monday, his second of the season. He gave the Sox three shutout innings last Sunday, with 39 pitches, but felt his legs tiring after that and asked out. Cora believes Velazquez could give the Sox more Monday. "Realistically five (innings), honestly four,'' chuckled Cora. "We'll see how it goes.''
- LHP Brian Johnson (elbow) is still getting treatment and won't be on the upcoming road trip. He hasn't been cleared for baseball activities yet. He'll be examined this week. Brock Holt (scratched cornea), too, will stay back and Cora hinted that he could soon go on a rehab assignment to get at-bats. "We've got to take his seriously,'' said Cora. "At this level, you've got to be able to see the ball and recognize spin. We'll be very cautious with him. Whenever he's ready, he's ready. But we've got to be careful with that.''