All you need to know about the Red Sox' victory over Seattle, complete with BSJ insight and analysis:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Heart of order delivers: The duo of J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts paced the Red Sox attack, collecting four hits on the night while also accounting for four RBI and two runs scored. Bogaerts kicked things off with a two-run homer in the first, his third homer in the last four games after hitting none through the first 17 games. In the third, it was Martinez's turn, using an inside-out swing to send the ball past the Pesky Pole in right, off the top of the short wall and into the seats. It was Martinez's seventh homer of the season, matching his total for all of 2020, and serving as a measure of how far Martinez has come this season. He later added a single in the seventh inning.
Redemptive night for bullpen: After detonating things Thursday night, Red Sox relievers helped bail the club out on a night when starter Martin Perez only got them into the fourth inning. Hirokazu Sawamura demonstrated that he's getting a better feel for his splitter, deftly using it only when he's ahead in the count with a chance to put the hitter away. It was used to record all three strikeouts that he notched in an inning and a third. Next came rookie phenom Garrett Whitlock, who saw his streak of consecutive batters retired end at 25, equaling Chris Sale's run in 2019. Whitlock allowed a two-out single but gave the Red Sox 2.1 scoreless innings and has yet to allow a run of any kind in five appearances, covering 11.1 innings. Finally, there was Adam Ottavino, whose eighth-inning implosion Thursday night set the wheels in motion for an extra-inning loss. Ottavino faced two batters Friday and struck out both.
TURNING POINT
It may well have come in the first inning. Starter Martin Perez was already in trouble with three hits allowed to the first four hitters, a run in and two runners on. But on a sharp ground ball by Evan White, Xander Bogaerts went sprawling just to the left of the second base bag, starting a huge 6-4-3 double play which got Perez out of the jam and stopped what could have been a big inning for the visitors. Then, just for good measure, Bogaerts clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to quickly erase the Seattle lead.
ONE UP
Alex Verudgo: Verdugo did it all, collecting three base hits, scoring two runs and gunning down a baserunner for his third assist of the season. He now has a six-game hitting streak.
TWO DOWN
Christian Arroyo: The infielder was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and also dropped the ball when a strong throw from Verdugo in the first inning that should have resulted in a putout at second base.
Martin Perez: Perez was asked to attack the strike zone, and he did a poor job of it, issuing four walks in just 3.2 innings pitched, while running his pitch count up to 83 to record just 11 outs.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That was a grind. We'll take it. We're not going to complain about wins, but we had to grind that one out.'' Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The seven homers for J.D. Martinez are the most he's ever hit in the month of April.
- Alex Verdugo has 10 outfield assists since the start of the 2020 season.
- Hirokazu Sawamura earned his first MLB victory.
- Garrett Whitlock has not allowed a run in 11.1 innings, the longest scoreless streak to begin a career since Austin Maddux had one of 16.1 innings in 2017.