Final: Astros 13, Red Sox 4

One bad inning did in Nate Eovaldi and the Red Sox Tuesday night.

One really, really, bad inning.

Eovaldi was rocked for five homers in the second inning, leading to nine runs and, ultimately, a 13-4 walloping of the Red Sox.

Michael Brantley, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Yuli Gurriel and Jeremy Pena all went deep off Eovaldi, who has now allowed 14 homers this season, or one fewer than he allowed all of last season.

The Astros weren't done with the long ball when Eovali left, as Tucker hit a grand slam off Tyler Danish two innings later.

WHO: Red Sox (14-21) vs. Houston Astros (23-13)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nate Eovaldi (1-1, 3.15) vws. RHP Jose Urquidy (2-1, 4.40)
TV/RADIO: NESN, TBS: WEEI 93-7 FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Hernandez CF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo LF
Story 2B
Cordero 1B
Plawecki C
Bradley Jr. RF

ASTROS

Altuve 2B
Brantley LF
Bregman 3B
Alvarez LF
Gurriel 1B
Tucker RF
Pena 3B
Siri CF
Maldonado C

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are 4-2 in their last 6 games after a season-long 5-game losing streak from 5/4-8. With a win tonight, the Red Sox will clinch their 2nd consecutive series victory after taking 2 of 3 games at TEX this past weekend. ...The Sox won the series opener vs. the Astros last night, 6-3...After Houston took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 7th inning, Trevor Story hit a game-tying solo HR in the bottom of the frame...In the 8th, J.D. Martinez hit a go-ahead RBI double and Xander Bogaerts hit a 2-run HR in the Sox’ 3-run inning. Story’s HR last night was the Sox’ 2nd game-tying or go-ahead HR in the 7th inning or later (also Bogaerts, 5/4 vs. LAA, go-ahead solo HR, 8th inning). Garrett Whitlock allowed 2 runs in 5.0 IP (3 H, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 HBP)...In 5 starts, Whitlock has posted a 3.15 ERA and 1.10 WHIP (20.0 IP, 14 H, 7 ER, 8 BB, 26 SO).  Last night, the Sox began a 7-game homestand against HOU (1-0) and SEA (4 games)...The Sox also began a stretch in which 14 of their 17 games from 5/16-6/1 will be at Fenway Park. The Sox were 4-9 at home prior to their win last night...In 2021, they began 10-11 (.476) at Fenway but finished 39-21 (.650) in their final 60 home games. ...The Red Sox are in the midst of a stretch during which only 5 of their’ 50 games from 5/3-6/26 are against AL East teams (5/27-30 vs. BAL). 35 of the Sox’ final 50 games will be against AL East opponents, including each of their last 14. SOX & ASTROS: The Red Sox and Astros have met in the Postseason in 3 of the last 5 years...The Sox won the 2018 ALCS (4-1) en route to their World Series championship while the Astros won the 2017 ALDS (3-1) and 2021 ALCS (4-2). Including the Postseason, the Sox are 17-25 against the Astros since the beginning of 2017...The Sox are 7-13 against the Astros at Fenway Park in that time. ...The Sox have scored 37 runs in the last 6 games (6.2 runs per game) after scoring just 18 runs in the previous 8 (2.3 runs per game). The Red Sox have recorded multiple XBH in each of their last 13 games (43 total XBH)...It is the Sox’ longest streak of the season, tied for the 3rd-longest in the majors in 2022...Only twice in 2021 did the Sox record multiple XBH in as many as 13 consecutive games: 20 G from 4/19-5/10, 13 G from 4/4-18. The Sox have homered in 8 of their last 15 games (10 total HR), after hitting 1 HR in their prior 11. The Sox are 12-5 when scoring at least 4 runs this season (2-16 when scoring 3 or fewer). ...The Red Sox are the only team in the majors with as many as 3 players batting .300+ with an .800+ OPS...They are each batting at least .320 with an .880 OPS or better: Bogaerts (.346, .880), Rafael Devers (.322, .883), and Martinez (.321, .911). The Sox are the only team in the majors with as many as 3 players batting .300+ with an .800+ OPS. Bogaerts (1st), Devers (4th), and Martinez (5th) each rank among the top 5 in the AL in AVG...Each member of the trio is also among the AL’s top 10 in OPS: Martinez (5th), Devers (6th), and Bogaerts (7th). CLOSE CALLS: 18 of the Red Sox’ 35 games have been decided by 2 runs or fewer (6-12), including 10 by 1 run (3-7) and 8 by 2 runs (3-5). The Sox have suffered the most walk-off losses in the majors this season (5)...The only other teams with more than 2 are SD and MIA (3 each). ... Red Sox starters rank 4th in the AL and 7th in MLB in ERA (3.30)...They have allowed 2 runs or fewer in 17 of their last 23 games (2.48 ERA, 31 ER/112.2 IP), holding opponents to a .199 AVG (81-for-407) in that span. Sox starters also rank among the top 5 in the AL in opponent AVG (3rd, .220), OBP (5th, .289), SLG (3rd, .354), OPS (4th, .643), and WHIP (5th, 1.14). Nathan Eovaldi, tonight’s starter, has allowed 3 runs or fewer in each of his 7 starts this season, issuing 1 or 0 BB in 6 and tossing 5.0+ innings in 6. From 2020-22, Eovaldi ranks 2nd among AL pitchers in FanGraphs’ WAR (6.7) behind NYY’s Gerrit Cole (7.3).  POWER: J.D. Martinez owns MLB’s longest active onbase streak (33 G) and longest active hitting streak (17 G), both the longest streaks of his career. Martinez’s on-base streak began 9/29/21 and includes each of his 28 games in 2022, the longest on-base streak in MLB this season. Prior to Martinez, the most recent Red Sox hitter to reach safely in each of their first 28 games of a season was Carl Yastrzemski in 1978 (33). Martinez’s hitting streak is the longest in MLB this year...During the streak, Martinez is batting .371 with a 1.011 OPS (26-for-70, 8 R, 8 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB). . Matt Strahm has stranded 11 of his 12 inherited runners this season (91.7%), the 4th-best rate in the AL among 34 pitchers with at least 10 inherited runners. Austin Davis has allowed just 1 ER in his last 12 appearances beginning 4/15 (0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP). ...The Sox rank 2nd in the majors in defensive runs saved (16), trailing only HOU (23)...They also rank 2nd in ultimate zone rating (7.7) behind KC (8.1). Red Sox outfielders lead the majors in UZR (7.7) and are tied for the lead in DRS (10; also MIN). Jackie Bradley Jr. leads MLB in DRS (7) among outfielders, tied for the 2nd-most at any position. Devers (.990) ranks 3rd in the AL in fielding % at third base (min. 150.0 innings), behind only Manny Machado and Kevin Smith (1.000). Christian Vázquez is tied for the AL lead in runners caught stealing (6-for-20, 30%). ....Red Sox pitchers have held opponents to a .216 AVG (55-for-255) and .648 OPS with RISP this year, each the 4th-best mark in the AL with RISP. With RISP & 2 outs, the Sox rank 2nd in the majors in opponent AVG (.158) behind only LAA (.118)...Their .585 opponent OPS in those situations is the 4th-best in the AL and 6th-best in the majors.

NOTES: 

* Michael Wacha is set to throw a brief bullpen session Wednesday, and unless there are any issues, will likely be activated and scheduled to pitch at some point this weekend. Wacha has been sidelined for the last 10 days with an intercostal strain.

* Alex Cora reiterated that the team plans to continue to use RHP Garrett Whitlock as a starting pitcher. "We feel very good about where we're at with him, in terms of structure between starts,'' said Cora. "I do believe that what you saw (Monday) is going to be the norm. There's going to be days when he struggles and goes four because of the pitch count and what they do against him. But for me and the medical staff, we feel very confident he can go six (innings) and 90-95 pitches. Right now, at this point, he's a starter.''

* Cora praised the Red Sox defensive play overall this year. "So far, I know the starting rotation has been the highlight,'' said Cora, "but I think defensively, we're much better than last year. And those two (Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story) up the middle, I think they're very important.''