All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Marlins, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Verdugo to the rescue: It was only the fifth inning, but with hard rain falling, small lakes forming on the left side of the infield and the conditions becoming more and more unplayable, time was running out. The Red Sox needed something. Marwin Gonzalez worked a leadoff walk and a double to left by Hunter Renfroe gave the Sox baserunners at second-and-third before Kike Hernandez popped out to first for the first out of the inning. "We kind of knew it was (a case of), keep playing, keep grinding, and try to get through five innings and have the lead,'' said Renfroe. Renfroe faced Miami starter Cody Poteet twice earlier and was expecting he might get a curveball this time, and sure enough, on his first pitch, Poteet threw a breaking ball down and in that Verdugo stayed back on and drove over the visitor's bullpen. It was Verudgo's third homer in the last 10 games, and even though it was still the middle innings, almost had the feeling of a walk-off shot.
Sox overcome tough conditions: Rain was falling right from the beginning of the game, but with the forecast of rain all weekend and this being the only Marlins visit to Fenway all season, every effort was going to be made to get the first game of the series in. So they played through some rainfall that was intense at times, and, in time, that made a mess of the playing field, despite the best efforts of the Fenway grounds crew. "Towards the end, the playing conditions were definitely a little bit unsafe,'' said Verdugo. "You felt like you were running into some puddles and if you had to make a sharp move, you would slip or something. I don't know how the infielders were actually able to throw the ball because it felt like every ball I would get was just water-logged.'' Indeed, the left side of the infield looked like a muddy mess. With the game official after five, a rain delay lasted almost 90 minutes before the game was called.
TURNING POINT
Even after Verdugo's clutch showing at the plate, the Red Sox had to survive a rocky top of the sixth inning. Reliever Adam Ottavino, pitching before the seventh inning for the first time this season, came in to relieve starter Martin Perez and from the start of frame, couldn't get comfortable. He was constantly throwing out baseballs given to him by the umpires, complaining that they were too wet to grip. He got two outs pretty quickly, but then struggled mightily with his grip and proceeded to walk the bases loaded in the span of 13 pitches. That, in turn, produce the unusual sight of Matt Barnes warming in the top of the sixth inning, as the Sox went for the throat in light of the weather. But Ottavino, shaking his head in frustration, came back and got Jorge Alfaro looking at a called third strike. That stranded three, ended the inning, and a minute later, out came the tarp.
TWO UP
Martin Perez: Perez continues to be the very picture of consistency, delivering five innings to the Sox and limiting the Marlins to two runs. He's allowed three runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts and nine of 10 this season.
J.D. Martinez: Martinez has been an RBI machine, and his Wall double in the second quickly erased a two-run lead that Miami had built in the top of the inning. Martinez has 39 RBI this year, or six more than he all of last season despite having played six fewer games.
ONE DOWN
Rafael Devers: Perhaps Devers was too intent on putting on a show for his cousin, the Marlins' shortstop, but he was off at the plate all night, fanning twice and rolling over to second in three plate appearances.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"The fifth inning was kind of like the eighth inning in reality.'' -- Alex Verdugo.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The win moved the Red Sox to 11 games over .500 for the first time this season.
* It also marked the 19th come-from-behind win of the year.
* Martin Perez entered his start with the most number of called strike threes (29) in the game and added three more to his total.
* J.D. Martinez became the sixth-fastest Red Sox player to record 300 RBI with the club, doing so in his 398th game with the Sox.
* Adam Ottavino, despite issuing three walks, posted his seventh straight scoreless outing.
UP NEXT
The interleague series continues Saturday at 4:10 with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-2, 4.39) vs. LHP Trevor Rogers (6-2, 1.75).