It didn't look good for the Red Sox, trailing the Baltimore Orioles 6-0 in the top of the third inning. But a comeback that started with two runs in the third kept rolling until the Red Sox had scored 13 straight runs for their fifth straight win, 13-7.
Rafael Devers led the way with four hits and four RBI, giving him 101 RBI for the season. Devers had a homer, two doubles and a single.
After Nathan Eovaldi allowed five runs in two innings, six other relivers cobbled together the final seven frames, allowing just two runs between them.
WHO: Red Sox (66-59) vs. Baltimore Orioles (39-84)
WHEN: 1:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Boston 2-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Boston 10-5
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 5.77), vs. LHP Ty Blach (0-1, 13.94)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
4:13 Devers. Again. Two-run blast to right. Two doubles, a single and homer, nine total bases. And 101 RBI for the season.
3:35 Another wall double from Devers -- his second of the day and third hit -- and the Sox have their first lead of the afternoon. Also, Devers is at 99 with his RBI.
3:24 Not a thing of beauty, but pitch hitter Mitch Moreland drops a ball into no-man's land in shallow left and an errant throw by Jonathan Villar allows a second run to score. Tie game, improbably.
2:47 Christian Vazquez ranged over too far to field a ball, then had no play when Josh Taylor attempted to field the ball, enabling Chris Davis to reach.
2:33 Sam Travis drives a ball into the CF bleachers for his fourth homer in his last nine games. All but one of his homers have come off lefties this season.
2:30 Something you don't see every day -- baserunner interference on Jonathan Villar, making the final out of the inning.
2:13 With a walk, double and two groundouts, Red Sox get two runs back. Still a big hill to climb.
2:06 That could, for now, stand as a representative inning for Hernandez: a run allowed, a hit batsman, a walk...and three strikeouts.
1:50 The Nathan Eovaldi start didn't go as planned. Before the game, Alex Cora was hoping for 55-60 pitches; instead, he got 43 and five runs aloud. Darwinzon Hernandez on.
1:40 Two-run single to center by Trey Mancini. Through 11 hitters, Eovaldi has issued three walks, thrown two wild pitches and given up five runs.
1:23 Rafael Devers misses a homer by about a foot and settles for his 45th double.
1:16 Nathan Eovaldi hangs a full-count curveball to Renato Nunez, who clubs it over everything in left. Four batters in to Eovaldi's first start since April and he trails 3-0.
LINEUPS:
RED SOX
Betts CF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Martinez RF
Benintendi LF
Travis DH
Vazquez 1B
Leon C
Owings 2B
ORIOLES
Villar SS
Mancini DH
Santander RF
Nunez 3B
Peterson LF
Alberto 2B
Davis 1B
Wilkerson CF
Sisco C
WHAT's UP: The Red Sox own a four-game losing streak and are 7-4 in their last 11...The Sox are 18-1 in their last 19 games in which they've received a quality start and 35-11 for the season...The Sox are 7-0 in the last seven games when their starter throws at least seven innings and 12-4 overall....Over the last three games, the Sox bullpen is unscored upon in 11 innings while holding opponents to four hits in 36 at-bats (.111)..In the last six games, Red Sox relievers have allowed just four runs in the last 24.2 innings (1.46 ERA)…..Since July 24, the Red Sox bullpen has the third-lowest ERA in the majors at 3.06...Only Tampa Bay (2.78) and St. Louis (2.94) have been better in that span....The Sox have homered in 10 straight games and 22 of their last 23....The Sox hit just one triple in their first 42 games, but have 22 since May 15, ranking them second in that span....The Sox lead the majors in average (.276) and doubles (279) and are second in runs (722), on-base percentage (.346) and extra-base hits (498)...The Sox have committed just four errors in the last 18 games....In his last seven games, Rafael Devers is hitting .500 (16-for-32) with nine extra-base hits and 10 RBI....He leads MLB with 73 extra-base hits, making him the first Red Sox player to have 70 or more extra-base hits at the age of 22 since Ted Williams...He leads MLB in hits (163) and tied for the lead in doubles (44)...He leads the A.L. in RBI (97) and is second in slugging (.584) while ranking third in average (.327) and OPS (.960)….Since July 1, Mookie Betts is batting .329 with a 1.007 OPS...He leads all of baseball in runs scored (113) and is on pace for 145...Xander Bogarts has a six-game hitting streak during which he's 10-for-27 with five RBI...Since returning from the I.L, Brock Holt is 14-for-37 with runners in scoring position...J.D. Martinez is batting .388 in his last 25 games....Nathan Eovaldi will be making his first start since April 17...This is his fifth start....Chris Davis is 4-for-13 with two homers lifetime against Eovaldi….Only two Red Sox hitters have had previous at-bats against Ty Blach - Martinez (1-for-4) and Chris Owings (0-for-3).
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Chris Sale, accompanied by head trainer Brad Pearson, will travel to Pensacola, FL. Monday to get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews.
- The Sox are undecided about a starter for Tuesday, though Brian Johnson looks like the choice.
- David Price, who threw a bullpen Tuesday (30 pitches), will throw another Tuesday. If he has no further setbacks, Price could return Sunday in San Diego.