All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the White Sox, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Offense erupts: You name the category -- hits, runs, home runs, extra-base hits -- and the Red Sox established career highs. In case you were worried that the team's offensive awakening was tied to being at Fenway Park, the Sox demonstrated that a change of venue wasn't about to cool them off. How hot are the Sox from an offensive standpoint? They've scored 95 runs in their last 13 games, or, the same number they had in their first 29 games. For the first time in a long time, the Red Sox finished a game in which every one of their hitters in the starting lineup finished with a batting average over .200. That may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but it wasn't long ago that the Sox could have fielded a lineup in which two-thirds of the players would be below that figure.
Story stays hot: Trevor Story struck out four times for the second game this season, but unlike the first time it happened, he still managed to do plenty of damage, too. Story hit his sixth homer in the last five games in the first inning, helping the Red Sox get off a 4-0 head start. Then, in the big six-run fifth inning, Story struck again and delivered a run-scoring single. That gave Story 17 RBI in the last five games, the most by any hitter in either league in a five-game stretch since 2013. This last week has begun to look like Story's first week in the big leagues when he hit homers in each of his first four games in the big leagues. This, obviously, is much closer to the version the Red Sox thought they were getting when they signed him to a six-year, $140 million deal in March.
Pivetta wins again: Nick Pivetta wasn't as dominant as he was in his last start, when he tossed a complete-game effort and allowed just one run on two hits against Houston, but he was plenty good enough, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings. Of course, it helped to have a 4-0 lead before he took the mound in the bottom of the first, but Pivetta did what he needed to do: worked quickly, stayed ahead and threw strikes. The White Sox didn't get a base hit off him until the fourth inning. Whatever mechanical issues existed in his first four outings have been corrected and Pivetta is gaining confidence with every start.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox were already leading 7-0 after the first three innings, so it wasn't as though the outcome of this one was in question early. But when the Sox continued to pound away even after White Sox starter Dylan Cease departed after the third with six more in the fifth -- starting with a leadoff homer from Rafael Devers -- it became obvious that this was going to be a laugher. Sure enough, the Sox sent nine men to the plate that inning and all but three scored as they continued to run up the score against the White Sox.
TWO UP
Christian Vazquez: Vazquez extended his hitting streak to six games with a three-hit night, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning. He also had two singles and knocked in four runs.
J.D. Martinez: Martinez has been the most consistent member of the lineup all season long and Tuesday was no different. In six plate appearances, he reached base five times with four hits and a walk while knocking in a run.
TWO DOWN
Matt Barnes: In an outing in which his team led by 13 runs, Barnes should have focused on just throwing strikes. Instead, he walked two of the first four hitters he faced.
Xander Bogaerts: It's not as if Bogaerts had a terrible game. He did have a hit and scored two runs. But he was the only hitter in the starting lineup to not have an RBI.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It was relentless, from top to bottom. Usually, in these games, somebody doesn't get a hit or has a bad night. Today, everybody had a great night.'' Alex Cora .
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox set season highs in both runs and base hits.
* Every member of the Red Sox starting lineup had at least one hit and every member had at least one RBI except Xander Bogaerts.
* Trevor Story hit his sixth homer in the last five games.
* Story has knocked in 17 runs in that five-game span.
* The Sox have homered in seven consecutive games and have had multiple homers in the last five games.
* After going winless in his first six outings this season, Nick Pivetta has now won his last three.
* J.D. Martinez has multi-hit games in eight of his last 11.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and White Sox continue their series at 8:10 Wednesday, with LHP Rich Hill (1-1, 3.90) vs. RHP Lucas Giolito (2-1, 2.84)