After dropping a day-night doubleheader Tuesday, the Red Sox bounced back to gain a split of their four-game series with Detroit, bashing the Tigers 7-3.
The Red Sox got a two-run double from Rafael Devers and a two-run homer from Michael Chavis in the first three innings, then added on with run-scoring double from Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi.
Rick Porcello went six innings to pick up his first win of the season. All three runs off him came in the third, two on a two-run homer by Nick Castellanos.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Tigers lead 2-1.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (0-3, 8.47) vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (0-3, 4.94)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:06 Benintendi swats another double off The Wall in left, scoring Leon from second. That's three doubles in his last five plate appearances -- all of them to either left-center or left.
9:04 Sandy Leon collects his first hit of the season -- a double, pulled into the RF corner -- after starting off 0-for-9.
8:40 Since allowing the two-run homer to Castellanos in the third, Porcello has now retired nine of the last 10 hitters.
8:32 Consecutive doubles by Benintendi and Betts results in another run. In the last two games, they've combined to reach base nine times.
8:12 Devers hasn't made a lot of impact at the plate this season -- just five RBI in his first 25 games - but he swatted an opposite field double off The Wall to score two as the Red Sox re-take their lead.
7:53 In a three-batter sequence, the Tigers jump on Porcello for three runs: double to CF for Jacoby Jones, with an error by Jackie Bradley Jr. sending him to third; run-scoring single to right by Jeimer Candelario and a homer off the right field foul pole for Castellanos.
7:42 Michael Chavis drives an 0-1 slider into the light tower in the Monster Seats. He can swing it.
7:31 Porcello sharp early on, carving up the middle of the Tigers lineup on just 11 pitches in the second, including two strikeouts.
7:12 Throwing error by Rafael Devers allows Nick Castellanos to take second. That's his seventh error of the season.
LINEUPS:
RED SOX
Benintendi LF
Betts RF
Moreland 1B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Chavis 2B
Bradley CF
Leon C
TIGERS
Candelario 3B
Castellanos RF
Cabrera DH
Goodrum LF
Dixon 1B
Beckham SS
Harrison 2B
Hicks C
Jones CF
WHAT'S UP: In Wednesday's 11-4 win over the Tigers, every member of the starting lineup reached base multiple times, something that hadn't happened for the Sox in a home game since Aug. 25, 2012 against Kansas City...The win was also the first this season without a homer...In the last 12 games, Red Sox starters have compiled a 3.34 ERA...Red Sox starters gave up 16 homers in the first 40.1 innings pitched; in the last 80.1 innings, they've allowed only seven....Red Sox pitchers have struck out at least 11 hitters in each of the last five games, the longest such streak since last June...In his first 11.2 innings, reliever Brandon Workman has allowed just two hits -- both singles. Opposing hitters are batting just .061 against him...Lefties (0-for-11) have yet to get a hit against Workman....He's unscored upon in 11 of 12 outings...Mookie Betts has reached base in 15 of his last 28 plate appearances over his last six games. In his last 22 at-bats, Betts has struck out just three times...J.D. Martinez has hit safely in 23 of 25 games this season...Rafael Devers has lowered his strikeout percent from 24.7 percent last year to just 15.5 percent this season. He's also boosted his on-base percentage from .298 last year to .365 this season...Andrew Benintendi has reached base against the Tigers in every one of his 19 career games against him....Rick Porcello is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against his former team....Gordon Beckham has hit him well (15-for-32 with a homer and six RBI, while Miguel Cabrera is 2-for-7....Betts comes into tonight 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI against Zimmermann, while Sandy Leon is 2-for-3 and Mitch Moreland 5-for-9 with a homer.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Alex Cora is undecided -- publicly at least -- on Friday's starter in the series opener against Tampa Bay. The Sox could make it a bullpen game or call somebody up from Pawtucket. Then again, with heavy rain in the forecast, the Sox may not need a starter. "To be announced,'' said Cora. "We'll see how it goes today and then we'll make a decision on what we're going to do.''
- Cora said the Sox will continue to pair Chris Sale and David Price back-to-back in the rotation. That way, the Sox believe, they can get deep starts from the two veterans and lighten the workload on the bullpen for two straight days.
- Steve Pearce has yet to get untracked. He's 0-for-6 and hitting just .156 for the season, including an atypical 2-for-16 against lefties. The problem has been in his set-up, where his hands aren't yet synched. But Cora hasn't lost faith in him. "The last three days, he's been in the cage, working and trying to get his timing,'' said Cora. "I do feel he's been a little late, inconsistent. But the last few days have been good for him and if something happens today and there's a lefty out there and a matchup we like, we'll use him. We expect big things out of him.''
- Brock Holt's rehab assignment could be plotted out tonight and could begin as soon as Friday. Eduardo Nunez (back) isn't yet ready to start his, though he's feeling better. Dustin Pedroia has been hitting but isn't yet ready to go out on an assignment. Brian Johnson (elbow) threw from a distance of 90 feet. He might get cleared for a bullpen either Sunday or Monday with a proviso that he not yet throw breaking balls.