All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 7-2 loss to the Orioles, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Perez flops in first start: Martin Perez wasn't signed as a front-of-the-rotation piece, even though events (the loss of both Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez) have forced him into that role. What the Sox had hoped was that Perez, at the very least, could find a way to keep them in games and give them a chance to win each start. He failed to do that in his Red Sox debut Saturday, allowing three runs in the first and two more in the second before settling in and tossing three more innings during which he didn't allow a hit. But by then, the damage had been done. "The first two innings, Martin didn't get those pitches where he wanted to,'' said Ron Roenicke. "It was just command early. Then all of a sudden, he started commanding the ball and the last two or three innings were really good. If we can get him to pitch like that from the get-go, he'll be back where he needs to be.'' Perez said he was able to spot his cutter better over his final three innings, particularly inside.
Alex Verdugo has eventful debut: The outfielder, held out of the lineup in the opener Friday night, made a splash with his first game, collecting three hits and scoring a run, taking an extra base on a single to left, advancing on a ball in the dirt, and making a tumbling catch in right. Verdugo said he intends to be an aggressive baserunner and has made that a point of emphasis. "I think this year, I want to work on stealing more,'' he said. "I want to get more bags. With the Dodgers, we kind of emphasized being smart on the bases, so I kind of just shut it down and was just going base-to-base. But I've always been aggressive going first-to-third and things like that. I want to get a little more aggressive on the bases and it's just a matter of tapping into it.''
Betts hitting .182
Verdugo hitting .500
Makes you think pic.twitter.com/qU7wPMYozn
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) July 25, 2020
Alex Verdugo is a maniac and I love it pic.twitter.com/m33MVqkqHZ
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) July 25, 2020
New season, same Jackie. pic.twitter.com/BDV5aWjLsz
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 25, 2020
- Three Red Sox players -- Jose Peraza, Kevin Pillar and Verdugo -- have had three-hit games in their Red Sox debuts, the first time that's happened in the same season.
- Nineteen of Mitch Moreland's last 20 homers have come off righthanders.
- Jackie Bradley Jr. has two multi-hit games to start the season for the first time in his career.
- J.D. Martinez extended his hitting streak to nine games, dating back to last season.
- Devers made his second error in two games.