After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Red Sox responded with 15 runs of their own -- including nine in the third inning, all after two were out -- and bashed the Chicago White Sox, 15-2 for their fifth win in the last six games.
The Sox set season highs for hits (20) and runs scored. They also belted four homers, including two by rookie Michael Chavis, who has three homers in the last two games. Eduardo Nunez and Xander Bogaerts also homered.
Every member of the Red Sox starting lineup has at least one hit and every one had at least one RBI except Christian Vazquez, who collected four hits.
Eduardo Rodriguez limited the White Sox to a single run over six innings to pick up his third win of the season.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Guaranteed Rate Field
SERIES TO DATE: 1-1
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-2, 6.16) vs. LHP Manny Banuelos (2-0, 2.70)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:10 You cannot stop Michael Chavis; you can only hope to contain him. Second homer of the night, third in the last two games and six in his first 13 games.
8:43 Batting practice continues for the Sox, who have scored 13 unanswered runs after falling behind 1-0 -- with some help from the White Sox and Jose Abreu, who commits two errors in the fourth, leading to four more runs in this inning.
8:23 Rodriguez did exactly what you would want him to do -- throw strikes, get ahead and get quick outs -- after sitting for more than a half hour as his team scored nine runs in the top of the inning.
8:13 What a beating. After Banuelos retired the first eight Red Sox hitters of the night, the Sox respond by pounding out 10 straight hits - all in the third inning, all after two were out, three of them homers.
8:04 Not as long as most of his homers, but Chavis blasts a shot to straightaway center for his fifth homer and second in as many nights.
8:01 The Sox have figured out Banuelos in a hurry. Five straight hits, the last three for extra bases and five runs are in.
7:58 Four straight hits, capped by consecutive doubles from Mookie Betts and JD Martinez, and the Sox quickly score three in the third -- all after two out.
7:50 It's early yet, but Banuelos profiles as the kind of guy who traditionally gives the Sox trouble - soft-throwing lefty who locates.
7:46 Rodriguez gets out of a jam that wasn't of his own making -- error by Bogaerts and roller that would have been an easy out had the Sox not been over-shifting -- and leaves the bases loaded.
7:42 Looks early on that the White Sox are trying to go back up the middle against Rodriguez -- both Abreu and Moncada with easy swings, driving balls to center.
7:21 Very similar play to the one Rafael Devers botched Thursday night -- slow chopper that he had to charge -- but this time, he makes the play smoothly.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Benintendi CF
Betts RF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Chavis 1B
Devers 3B
Pearce LF
Nunez 3B
Vazquez C
WHITE SOX
Garcia CF
Anderson SS
Abreu 1B
McCann C
Moncada 3B
Rondon 2B
Alonso DH
Cordell RF
Delmonico LF
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox won 6-1 Friday night and have four of their last five overall...Chris Sale earned his first victory of the season and the Red Sox won a game that Sale started for the first time this year...Red Sox pitchers struck out 14 hitters Friday night, tying a single-game high...In the last three games, Red Sox pitchers have struck out 33 and walked just five...Over the last 20 games, Red Sox starters have compiled the best ERA (3.18) in the game, limiting opponents to three earned runs or fewer in 18 of those 20 and four earned runs or fewer in all 20...Over the last nine games, the Sox have gotten quality starts seven times after getting just four quality starts in the team's first 24 games....Red Sox starters have also cut way back on gopher balls, allowing just one homer in the last five games...Rafael Devers finally his first homer of the season Friday night, a three-run shot in the first inning...He's reached base in 17 straight games...Catcher Sandy Leon threw out a base stealer Friday night and over the last 21 games, the Red Sox have allowed just five steals while catching seven others attempting to steal...Michael Chavis hit his fourth homer of the year Friday night...Since being recalled, he leads the Sox in homers and is tied for the team lead in RBI (10)….Mookie Betts has reached safely in the last 14 games....After a brief slump that saw him go hitless over 10 at-bats, J.D. Martinez has three hits in each of his last two games....No Red Sox player has had three straight three-hit games since Dustin Pedroia in 2016...Martinez has also gone 27 straight plate appearances without striking out....Andrew Benintendi has 10 multi-hit games this season...Mitch Moreland is 0-for-9....In his last 14 games with at least one at-bat, Christian Vazquez has four homers and 12 RBI...Steve Pearce is hitless in his last 14 at-bats, but did work two walks in three plate appearances after getting into the game in the second inning, replacing the injured Tzu-Wei Lin....The Sox have won each of Eduardo Rodriguez's last four starts, during which time he's 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA...Rodriguez hasn't allowed a homer in either of his last two starts and has allowed just one homer to the last 123 righthanded hitters he's faced...In three career starts against the White Sox, Rodriguez is 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA...Tim Anderson is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in his career against Rodriguez...James McCann is 3-for-10 with two homers...Nobody in the Red Sox roster has ever faced Banuelos.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- The Red Sox, as expected, activated Eduardo Nunez from his rehab assignment and placed Tzu-Wei Lin (sprained left knee) on the IL Lin is back in Boston, undergoing further tests on the knee, which he injured attempting to steal second base in the second inning Friday night.
- The Sox claimed 25-year-old first baseman Joey Curletta on waivers Saturday and assigned him to Double A Portland. Last year at Double A, the righthanded-hitting Curletta hit 23 homers with 94 RBI in 129 games while slugging .482. This year, he was Triple A Tacoma and was slashing .245/.303/.400 with five homers in 27 games.