All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Pirates, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Early offense: It's a good thing the Red Sox struck early against the Pirates and starter Mitch Keller. The first six Red Sox hitters reached base in the first inning and four of those came around to score. They tacked on one more run in the second inning to sprint to a 5-0 lead, but after that, the offense fizzled. The Red Sox, who were were 5-for-7 with two walks and a sacrifice fly with their first 10 batters, produced almost nothing after a one-out single from Tommy Pham in the second. After the second inning, the Red Sox had exactly one baserunner over the final seven frames -- a leadoff walk by Eric Hosmer to start the sixth. Fortunately for them, the five runs proved sufficient.
Pivetta continues starters' roll: All of a sudden, the Red Sox rotation is nearly back to full health and it's showing. For the sixth straight game, the Red Sox got more than five innings and fewer than three runs allowed from their starter. Nick Pivetta pitched seven innings and didn't allow a hit after the first inning. He finished strong, too, retiring 13 of the last 14 hitters he faced. Whatever issues were plaguing Pivetta in July seem to have been solved and he's once again throwing the way he did in June and early July. Allowing just four baserunners over seven innings and 99 pitches is precisely the kind of outing the Sox need as they try to mount a comeback.
Barnes sharp in ninth: Matt Barnes was given closing duties for the first time in a long while and responded perfectly, setting down the Pirates in order in the ninth on just 10 pitches to earn his third save of the season and first since returning from the IL. Barnes had some hop to his fastball and was successful in commanding his curveball, too, recording two strikeouts. With Tanner Houck still on the IL and his immediate picture unclear as he battled a lower back issue, the Sox can use all the help they can get in the back end of the bullpen. John Schreiber and Garrett Whitlock can't do it by themselves in every game in which the Red Sox lead late in the game, so Barnes' return to form -- if that's what we're witnessing of late -- couldn't be more welcome.
TURNING POINT
In retrospect, Pivetta's ability to get out of a tiny jam in the first inning was consequential. He had allowed a two-out walk to Bryan Reynolds and a single to Ben Gamel, but he got Kevin Padlo out on a soft comebacker to end the threat. The Pirates didn't manage to get another baserunner into scoring position until the eighth inning after that — as Pivetta got into a good rhythm and allowed just two more walks over the next six innings.
TWO UP
Tommy Pham: Pham has been a hitting machine at the top of the lineup, going 2-for-4. He singled to lead off the game and scored the first run, then singled and came around to score again in the second, too.
Alex Verdugo: He had a run-scoring single in the four-run first inning and now has 14 hits in the last 10 games.
TWO DOWN
Kiké Hernandez: Perhaps this should have been expected after missing more than two months, but Hernandez's return found him looking off at the plate. He managed a sacrifice fly on the first pitch he saw in the first, but then had two strikeouts sandwiched around a double play.
Reese McGuire: This was the first game he's started for the Sox since the deadline trade in which he didn't collect at least one hit, he was 0-for-4 with a strikeout and a double play.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We need to be better. Seven innings (with) no hits and only one walk. The quality of the at-bats got worse throughout the game. When you start a series and you're up 5-0, it would be great to add on and get to their bullpen and keep digging in. We've got to keep going.'' -- Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Sox pulled even on the road for the season at 29-29.
* The win improved the Red Sox to 7-9 in interleague games this season.
* The save was the first for Matt Barnes since May 21.
* In the last six games, no Red Sox starter has allowed more than three runs and four of the six allowed two runs or fewer.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox and Pirates play the middle game of the three-game series Wednesday night at 7:05 with LHP Rich Hill (4-5, 4.75) starting vs. TBA.