All you need to know about the Red Sox' win over the Orioles, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Martinez, Devers lead explosion, combine for five homers: All together, the Red Sox blasted six homers out of and around Camden Yards Sunday, with five of those coming from just two hitters. J.D. Martinez, who spent the previous game on the COVID-19 related IL, hit three (one shy of his personal single-game best) and Rafael Devers contributed two more. Together, the two sluggers combined for nine RBI. Martinez, who expressed frustration that an allergy attack Saturday afternoon triggered COVID-19 protocols, sure didn't seem to be at all limited, hitting two to right field and the third to straightaway center. The afternoon was a continuation of the hot start he's been on since the beginning, with five homers and 16 RBI in his first eight games. Not bad for a guy who was forced to spend all of yesterday in his hotel room, in quarantine. Devers, meanwhile, finished off a monster series with a two-homer day and four for the series. And just for good measure, Devers seems to have settled in at third base, too, coming up with his second highlight play in two games when he fully extended to backhand a hard, high liner in the second, then fire to first to complete a double play.
Pivetta gets the job done: A quick look at the line score -- six innings pitched, four runs allowed -- might suggest that Nick Pivetta pitched to the scoreboard. But that's a bit misleading, as three of the four runs he allowed came in the sixth when his pitch count climbed toward triple digits. Pivetta was frustrated that he allowed a three-run shot to Maikel Franco, but there's no discounting what he did over the first five innings -- working quickly, getting ahead and staying away from any big innings. In that span, he allowed just five hits and two walks. In turn, Pivetta credited his offense which helped give him some early backing and allowed him to be aggressive. "Having that run support,'' he said, "makes things a lot easier.''
TURNING POINT
Given the final score, it might look like this one was never in doubt. But in the bottom of the third with the Sox up 4-0, the Orioles threatened, loading the bases with one out. Nick Pivetta crossed up catcher Christian Vazquez and a pitch got away. Freddy Galvis, the baserunner at third, broke for the plate but Vazquez scrambled to corral the errant pitch, fed a perfect feed to Pivetta, who slid into the plate, blocked Galvis and applied the tag to record the second out. A called third strike to Anthony Santander closed out the inning, and the Sox were on their way to adding on.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: As was the case last season, it's taking Verdugo a while to get untracked at the plate. But Sunday demonstrated that he might be getting closer with two hits -- including his first homer of the year -- and three RBI and two runs scored.
Xander Bogaerts: Compared to some of his teammates, the shortstop had something of a quiet day, failing to hit a homer. But he did manage three hits (two singles and a double) and is batting .375 for the season.
TWO DOWN
Marwin Gonzalez: Gonzalez found a way to be the only member of the lineup to not have at least one hit, going 0-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch in his five plate appearances.
Austin Brice, Phillips Valdez: Both relievers had gigantic leads when they were given some mop-up duty, and yet somehow, both had trouble throwing strikes. Brice walked the first two hitters he faced despite leading 10-1 at the time and Valdez later needed 36 pitches to get through the ninth.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I was thinking, 'He's really not going to throw me a strike here, but I have to take a chance.' '' -- J.D. Martinez, who swung mightily on a full count in his final attempt in a futile effort to connect for his fourth homer.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- J.D. Martinez has 12 extra-base hits through his first eight games, the most by any player in his first eight games of a season in AL history.
- Sunday marked the fourth time in Red Sox history when one player hit three homers (Martinez) and another hit two (Rafael Devers).
- The six homers in one game was not a club record; the Sox have hit seven in a game seven times, most recently in 2013.
- When Trey Mancini connected off Austin Brice, it ended a streak of 36.2 innings by the bullpen without allowing a homer this season.
- Nick Pivetta became the first Red Sox starting pitcher since Tim Wakefield in 1995 to win all four of his first four starts.