All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Tigers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Duvall leads the way: It's frightening to contemplate where the Red Sox would be early in the season without Adam Duvall. He leads the team in RBI and is directly responsible for two of the three wins the Sox have earned. Last Saturday, he delivered a two-run, walkoff homer to turn what looked like a loss into a win against Baltimore. and on Thursday, his tie-breaking, three-run homer in the sixth was the different in Boston's victory over the Tigers in Detroit. "I've always said, when I step up the plate, I feel like I have a man in scoring position,'' said Diuvall, "because I have the ability to drive the ball and hit the ball out of the ballpark. But when runners are on, it's a passion of mine to drive in runs. I love those situations.'' So far, it shows.
Sale takes a step forward: This was a big improvement over Chris Sale's train wreck last Saturday, when he was belted around for seven runs over just three innings. Sale had some trouble finding the strike zone at times, walking three on Thursday, but he kept the Sox in the game until the bats kicked in and finished strong, retiring seven of the last eight hitters he faced, including the final three by strikeout. His comeback remains a work in progress, but Thursday offered some encouraging signs.
Bullpen continues to shine: Despite the heavy workload that has been placed upon them in the first week of the season, Red Sox relievers have responded well to the challenge. On Thursday, four relievers took over after Sale and each contributed a scoreless inning. Since Opening Day, relievers have started 29 innings and have held opponents off the board in 24 of those. Over the last four games, Red Sox relievers have combined to throw 17 innings and have allowed just four runs in that span.
TURNING POINT: It's not often that a turning point comes in the first inning, but Thursday may have been an exception to that rule. Sale began the game by issuing two walks on eight pitches, giving the Tigers two runners on base before he had even thrown his first strike of the afternoon. Right from the outset, it seemed Sale was in big trouble. But he quickly righted things and came back to strike out the next three hitters and went on to give the Sox five decent innings.
TWO UP
Rafael Devers: Devers contributed a solo homer in the fourth to put the Red Sox on the scoreboard, then smoked a double to straightaway center in the sixth, scoring Alex Verdugo all the way from first. By smartly advancing to third on the throw to the plate, Devers also scored a big run that same inning.
Kenley Jansen: After all the anxiety over his ability to deal with the pitch clock, Jansen has adapted very well to the new rule. He also made quick work of the Tigers in the ninth, retiring three hitters in succession for his first Red Sox save.
TWO DOWN
Kiké Hernandez: It was a tough afternoon all the way around for Hernandez, who was without a hit in four at-bats, committed his third error of the year with a poor throw, and was picked off first base.
Triston Casas: Casas finds himself in an honest-to-goodness slump, going 0-for-4. He's now just 1-for-16 over his last four games.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Definitely a step in the right direction. I made some pitches when I had to. Obviously, command was spotty to say the least at times. But I relied on my defense and our offense stepped up again today.'' - Sale.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Masataka Yoshida had another stolen base. The Red Sox have just two steals through the first seven games and Yoshida, hardly seen as a stolen base threat, has both of them.
* Rafael Devers moved into 19th place all-time on the Red Sox career home run list with No. 141, moving ahead of Dustin Pedroa.
* After notching 391 career saves for the Dodgers and Braves, Thursday's save for Kenley Jansen was his first as an American Leaguer.
* Both Devers and Yoshida snapped hitless streaks of 11 at-bats with base hits.
* In a statistical oddity, the Sox didn't strand a single baserunner through the first eight innings.
UP NEXT: After a day off Friday, the teams resume the series Saturday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. with RHP Tanner Houck (1-0, 5.40) vs. LHP Joey Wentz (0-1, 5.06).