It took 39 games, but the Red Sox finally got over the .500 mark Friday night, bashing out 15 hits in a 14-1 pasting of the Seattle Mariners.
The Sox got home runs from Mitch Moreland, Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi as they won their third game in a row, sixth in the last seven games and ninth in their last 11.
Moreland and Devers each had four RBI.
Eduardo Rodriguez improved to 4-2 with seven shutout innings. He allowed just five hits and walked only one.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Seattle 3-1.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-2, 5.40) vs. RHP Erik Swanson (1-3, 4.94)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:17 Walk by Rodriguez to Jay Bruce leading off the seventh ends a streak of 18 straight innings without a walk by the Red Sox pitching staff.
8:53 Red Sox pitchers have not allowed a walk over the last 18 innings.
8:35 Moreland's slugging percentage is otherworldly. Of his 25 hits this year, 17 have been for extra bases.
8:13 First homer at Fenway this season for Devers.
7:57 Erik Swanson throws it exactly where he shouldn't -- bottom of the zone and a little in to Mitch Moreland, who crushes it into the bleachers behind the home bullpen.
7:54 Mookie Betts, on an 0-2 pitch, bounces a single up the middle, scoring Bradley.
7:48 Leadoff double for Jackie Bradley Jr. That's just his third hit this month and first extra-base hit since April 28
7:28: Six up and six down for Rodriguez, who needs just 21 pitches through the first two innings.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Benintendi LF
Betts RF
Martinez DH
Moreland 1B
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Chavis 2B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C
MARINERS
Haniger RF
Santana LF
Encarnacion DH
Healy 3B
Bruce 1B
Beckham 2B
Crawford SS
Murphy C
Bishop CF
WHAT'S UP: Red Sox have won five-of-six and eight of their last 10...They've also won their last three series in a row..The Sox have a positive run differential for the first time this season, 186-185. It wasn't long ago that the Sox had a -42 run differential. But since then, they've outscored opponents 109-66, the highest run differential in the majors for that span...On Wednesday, the Red Sox recorded 22 strikeouts and didn't issue a single walk. It marked the most number of strikeouts ever recorded in a game without a walk....The Sox lead the American League in runs score for the month of May and also lead in OBP and walks, while being second in homers, third in batting average and third in OPS...When the Sox last faced the Mariners in the opening series of the year, they gave up 11 homers in the first three games. Overall, Sox starters allowed at least one homer for each of the first nine games and the pitching staff allowed 16 homers in the first 40.1 innings of the season. But in the 29 games since, they've allowed just 15 more homers, and their 0.89 homers per nine innings in the third lowest in the majors....Mookie Betts has reached base in 17 of his last 18 games and his .405 OBP is seventh-best in the A.L...Xander Bogaerts has homered in three of his last five games...Rafael Devers is slashing .346/.422/.474 over his last 22 games and has multiple hits in eight of his last 12 games...Michael Chavis comes into the game hitless his last 11 at-bats...Christian Vazquez has hit in three straight and is batting .500 (9-for-18) in the month of May...Mitch Moreland has 11 game-tying or go-ahead RBI this season, tied for the most in the American League....The Sox have won each of Eduardo Rodriguez's last five starts. Rodriguez gave up 11 earned runs in his first two starts and has since allowed 11 in his last five...Rodriguez hasn't allowed a homer in any of his last three outings....Edwin Encarnacion is 6-for-18 lifetime against Rodriguez and Dee Gordon is 6-for-10....Ryan Healy, meanwhile, is just 3-for-18 with three strikeouts...The Red Sox do not have any previous at-bats against Erik Swanson.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Alex Cora is still undecided about his Sunday starter, but said he has four options: Josh Smith, Hector Velazquez, Ryan Weber and "others'' i.e. someone else in the minor league organization.
- David Price was scheduled to play catch on the field and told Cora he's much improved. Cora predicted that Price would need a couple of bullpens -- but no rehab assignment -- before being ready to come off the IL and return to the rotation.
- Dustin Pedroia, on a rehab assignment with Double A Portland, is expected to play Saturday, Sunday and Monday with the affiliate, after which the Sox and Pedroia will sit down and map out what to do next. It's possible that he could be activated Tuesday. Pedroia has told Cora that he feels good and that he's pleased with where his swing is.