All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Boston snaps losing streak: The Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak on Friday night. Boston is now 14-8 all-time versus Arizona and 4-3 at Chase Field.
Chris Sale has a solid performance: Sale began the season with an 11.25 ERA after three starts, surrendering 15 earned runs off 18 hits in 12 innings. Something clicked for the left-hander and he has been stellar in his last seven starts on the bump, including Friday night’s performance. Sale tossed 5 innings, giving up four hits, one walk and three strikeouts on 73 pitches, 44 were for strikes.
Alex Verdugo plays in front of family: Verdugo entered the series scuffling at the plate. He was hitless in his last 14 at-bats but the Sox right fielder broke through offensively with three hits, including his 16th double in the eight inning that extended the lead to 7-1.
TURNING POINT
Top of the second: Rob Refsnyder lead off the inning with an infield single, extending his hitting streak to five games. He was quickly driven in on a Triston Casas double up the right field line. After two quick outs, Connor Wong extended his hitting streak to five games with a double to the left field wall. Ramiel Tapia singled in the at-bat after giving Chris Sale a 3-0 lead to work with early.
Top of the fourth: Casas collected his second hit of the game with a leadoff single. Kiké Hernández broke the game open with a two-run, 431-foot blast into the left field seats, extending the Sox lead to 5-0. His homer was his 12th of his career against the Diamondbacks, the most he has versus any team in his career.
TWO UP
Triston Casas: Casas went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. He now has hits in consecutive games after only managing a .133/.235/.133 slash line over his last five games. The 23-year-old has shown some signs of life at times this month but has been scuffling lately.
Connor Wong: Wong had two doubles, including one in the eighth inning that he hustled and beat out the throw to second with two outs.
"It was a great bounce back from us, tough series there in Anaheim, it's really good for us as an offense to get back out there and do our thing. We're grinders. Just feeding off each other, energy is still good, everyone has been positive and I think it's easier to turn things around when you have good morale," said Wong post-game to NESN's Jahmai Webster.
TWO DOWN
Masataka Yoshida: Yoshida was not involved in the Red Sox hit parade. He was held hitless (0-for-5) out of the cleanup spot with three strikeouts. All three of his strikeouts came on changeups.
Enmanuel Valdez: Valdez struck out twice, he was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-5 on the night. In his first 23 games in the big leagues, Valdez was 13-for-34 (.382) with runners on base. He now has one hit in his last seven games.
NOTABLE
Red Sox pitchers have allowed four earned runs or fewer in eight of their last nine games. With Sale’s five-inning performance, Sox starters have tossed at least five innings in 25 of their last 28 games. They’ve only allowed two runs or fewer over in six of their last eight games.
Five Red Sox hitters had doubles in the win, Justin Turner (10), Verdugo (16), Wong with two (10) and Casas with two (6).
Lourdes Gurriel has been scorching hot at the plate for the Snakes. He extended his hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI triple in the fourth inning.
UP NEXT
The Sox look to make it two in a row on Saturday with Garrett Whitlock returning to the rotation. Whitlock makes his return from the injured list after dealing with right elbow neuritis.
Saturday: RHP Garrett Whitlock (1-2, 6.19 ERA) vs. TBA (7:15 p.m. / FOX)
Sunday: RHP Tanner Houck (3-3, 4.99 ERA) vs. RHP Merrill Kelly (5-3, 2.98 ERA)