All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 12-5 win over the Indians, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Martinez breaks out: It was a less-than-productive road trip for J.D. Martinez. He missed the entire four-game set in Toronto thanks to a stiff lower back and illness. In Houston, he played two of three games and was 1-for-7 with a single. But back at Fenway, Martinez enjoyed a big afternoon. After going hitless in his first three at-bats, Martinez came to the plate with two outs in the sixth. He drove the ball to right and the ball hit the top of the visitor's bullpen wall, bounced on a carom and hit the glove of Cleveland right fielder Oscar Mercado ... and then landed in the bullpen. The next one, in the eighth, required no further assistance from the Indians, as it landed in the Monster Seats. Martinez has just 10 homers through the first one-third of the season, but history teaches us that he often hits them in bunches, so it should be worth watching him over the next week.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1133154025225052160
Porcello continues to provide innings: It looked like it was going to be a tough outing for Rick Porcello early after falling behind 2-0 just six batters into the first inning. But Porcello gave up just three more runs the rest of the way, and of the five he yielded, only three were earned. More importantly, Porcello nearly got the Sox through seven innings, falling an out short and needing help from the bullpen to get through the inning. In each of his last seven starts, Porcello has given the Red Sox six inning at a minimum and in three of those, he's pitched into the seventh. "He didn't have great stuff,'' said Alex Cora, "but he found a way to give us all those outs. That was very important for us.'' Porcello's ERA is at 4.41, in large part because of three poor starts at the beginning of the year. But since then, he's consistently given the Sox length, and as importantly, a good chance to win. They're 7-1 in his last eight starts.
Defense helps out in the fifth: As Porcello tried to right himself, he was aided and abetted by his team's defense. To open the fifth, Jason Kipnis hit a ball to the gap in right-center. It appeared as though the ball might drop in, but seemingly out of nowhere, Mookie Betts raced over and made a tumbling catch to take away extra bases. "I've been watching him play long enough now that there's not many things that he does that surprise me,'' Porcello said. "You don't take it for granted. He's as special as it gets. But closing speed on that ball ... that thing was in the gap and he closed down on it. That was a hell of a play. That's the leadoff man in the inning and that's a huge play for myself and our ballclub.'' Then, after a one-out double by Jake Bauers, Brock Holt went ranging toward the middle to make a diving stop of a grounder from Mike Freeman, then made a strong throw to first for the third out, saving a run.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1133134672270110720
TURNING POINT
The Indians were already leading 2-0 in the top of the third with two out and no out. But after a sacrifice bunt and a groundout scored one run, Porcello buckled down caught Roberto Perez looking at a called third strike, keeping the damage to a minimum. He didn't allow another run until the seventh when the game was well in hand.
TWO UP:
Xander Bogaerts: Following a rough start (a first-inning error, a second-inning strikeout), Bogaerts had a single, double, two runs scored and an RBI.
Mookie Betts: Betts collected two hits and scored two runs, and also made a spectacular tumbling catch in right field on a sinking liner in the fifth inning.
ONE DOWN
Heath Hembree: Remember the first half of last season when Hembree had such success with freezing inherited runners? It's not the same this year. He allowed one Monday, his second in the last three games. For the year, he's allowed 5 of 14 to score.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Rafael Devers collected an extra-base hit for the seventh straight game.
- The Sox improved to 6-3 against teams from the AL Central, their best record against any division.
- The win improved the Red Sox to 6-12 in series openers.
- The game marked the sixth time this season that the Sox have reached double figures in runs scored.