Final: Red Sox 7, Reds 1

When Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene fanned seven of the first 10 hitters he faced, it looked to be another long night for the Red Sox offense which had scored one run in the previous two games.

But in the fourth inning, the Sox jumped on Greene for four runs and never looked back, earning a 7-1 victory to snap a two-game losing streak.

Alex Verdugo knocked in two and Jackie Bradley Jr. knocked in four for the Sox.

Garrett Whitlock allowed one unearned run over six innings, though he didn't record a single strikeout.

WHO: Red Sox (23-27) vs. Cincinnati Reds (17-31)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: CIN 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 3.49) vs. RHP Hunter Greene (2-6, 5.89)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

RED SOX

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

REDS

Senzel CF
Drury 3B
Stephenson C
Votto 1B
Stephenson C
Farmer SS
Moustakas DH
Aquino RF
Reynolds 2B

WHAT'S UP:  The Red Sox have lost each of their last 2 games, their first time losing consecutive games since a season-long 5-game losing streak from 5/4-8. The Red Sox are 9-5 in the last 15 games and 13-8 in their last 21 games. The Sox are 4-1-0 in their last 5 series. The Sox’ +21 run differential in May ranked 4th in the AL behind HOU (+46), NYY (+40), and TEX (+23). ...Tonight concludes the Red Sox’ 7-game homestand against BAL (2-3) and CIN (0-1). Tonight also concludes a stretch during which 14 of the Sox’ 17 games from 5/16-6/1 were Fenway (8-5)... They were 4-9 in their first 13 games at Fenway this season...In 2021, they began 10-11 (.476) at Fenway but finished 39-21 (.650) in their final 60 home games. ....Following tonight’s game, the Red Sox will travel to the west coast...They will have an off-day on Thursday before playing 10 games in 10 days from 6/3-12: at OAK (3 games), LAA (4), and SEA (3). The 10-game road trip is tied for their longest of the season...The Sox also had a 10-game at TB (3), TOR (4), and BAL (3) from 4/22-5/1...Following the upcoming trip, the Sox’ longest remaining road trip will be 9 games from 6/24-7/3 (at CLE, TOR, CHC). START ME UP: The Red Sox’ 5 primary starting pitchers have combined to post a 3.83 ERA (94 ER/220.2 IP) in their starts, each making at least 7 starts (see below). In 22 starts following a Boston loss this season, the 5 primary Red Sox starting pitchers have combined to go 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA (36 ER/120.1 IP). Eovaldi (5/28 vs. BAL-G1) and Pivetta (5/18 vs. HOU) are the only pair of teammates to each throw a complete game this season, and the 1st pair of Sox teammates to do so in the same season since 2018 (Porcello, Price).  Garrett Whitlock, tonight’s Red Sox starter, allowed 5 ER in 3.0 IP on 5/21 vs. SEA...In his other 6 starts this season, Whitlock has posted a 3.12 ERA (9 ER/26.0 IP). Whitlock’s 2.49 career ERA is the 4th-lowest by a Red Sox pitcher in the Live Ball Era (min. 100.0 IP), trailing only Koji Uehara (2.19), Jonathan Papelbon (2.33), and Craig Kimbrel (2.44). ..The Red Sox lead the majors this season in XBH (173), doubles (120), total bases (721), and hard-hit balls (569)...They lead the AL in AVG (.258) and rank 2nd in runs (235), SLG (.417), and OPS (.732). The Sox hit 116 XBH in May, their 2nd-most ever in the month, trailing only the 2016 clubs’ 122. ...The Red Sox are averaging 6.7 runs per game in the last 21 games, beginning 5/10...During that time, Boston is batting .296 with an .874 OPS (224-for-756, 61 2B, 2 3B, 33 HR). The Sox have hit 29 HR in their last 16 games after hitting 9 HR in their previous 15. They have hit 3+ HR in 5 games this season, all coming in the club’s last 13 games, beginning 5/19. The Sox have scored 12+ runs 4 times, tied with SF for the most in the majors this season...Each of those games have come in the club’s last 13 contests. ALL TOGETHER NOW: The Red Sox are the only team in the majors to feature 3 players batting .300+ with an .800+ OPS: Xander Bogaerts (.321, .859), Rafael Devers (.343, .978), and J.D. Martinez (.363, .988). The Red Sox also lead the majors in players with 20+ RBI (7) and 25+ runs scored (5), and are tied for the most players with 15+ XBH (6). .Rafael Devers leads MLB in hits (72), XBH (32), total bases (127), and hard-hit balls (92), and leads the AL in doubles (20).  Martinez leads the majors in AVG (.363)...In May, Martinez also led the majors in AVG (.406) and ranked 2nd in hits (43), trailing only Devers (45). Trevor Story led the AL in May with 32 RBI, the 2nd-most in the majors behind STL’s Paul Goldschmidt (33).  Bogaerts is 1 game shy of tying Everett Scott for the most games played at shortstop in Red Sox history, and 2 starts shy of tying Scott for the most starts at the position in franchise history (see tables to the right). Bogaerts was 1 of 4 players to record at least an .850 OPS in each of the 4 seasons from 2018-21, joined by Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts. Bogaerts has won 4 Silver Slugger Awards at shortstop (2015, ‘16, ‘19, ‘21), the 5th-most ever by a player at the position behind Barry Larkin (9), Cal Ripken Jr. (8), Alex Rodriguez (7), and Derek Jeter (5). ..The Sox have 3 pitchers who have posted an ERA below 2.75 over 10+ appearances: John Schreiber (1.42), Austin Davis (1.69), and Hansel Robles (2.65). Davis is 1 of 2 LHP in the AL to post a sub-2.00 ERA over 20+ appearances this season, along with OAK’s Sam Moll (1.04 ERA). Tanner Houck has allowed just 1 run in 12.0 IP over his last 4 appearances (0.75 ERA, 7 H, 4 BB, 9 SO), with each of his last 3 outings being scoreless (9.0 IP). ...The Red Sox rank T-4th in the AL and T-5th in the majors in defensive runs saved (20). Red Sox outfielders rank 2nd in the majors in ultimate zone rating (8.5) and T-7th in defensive runs saved (4). Jackie Bradley Jr. leads MLB RF in ultimate zone rating (4.2) and ranks T-4th in defensive runs saved (5).    Kiké Hernández tied for the lead among MLB CF in outs above average in May (3; source: Baseball Savant). SOX & REDS: The Red Sox are 12-2 against the Reds since Interleague play began in 1997...Prior to last night’s loss, the Red Sox had won each of the clubs’ previous 9 games, including all 5 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox’ .857 winning % against the Reds is the highest by any opponent against the club and the Red Sox’ highest against any club. The two clubs last played each other in 2017, a 3-game series at CIN from 9/22-24...The Reds last played at Fenway in 2014, a 2-game series from 5/6-7. The clubs will play 2 games at CIN from 9/20-21. ...The Sox are 1-2 in Interleague play this season...They are 280-186 (.601) all time against the NL, the highest Interleague winning % in MLB. Outside of 4 games against ATL, the Sox match up against the NL Central this season.

NOTES: 

* The Red Sox activated LHP Matt Strahm from the COVID-IL restricted list and make room for his return, placed Matt Barnes on the IL with right shoulder inflammation retroactive to May 31. "He came to us with this yesterday,'' said chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. "He said when he was warming up (Monday, he felt it warming up, worked through it and it didn't bother him during the game. But then (Tuesday), his shoulder was bothering him. He tried to play a little light catch and he was feeling it. It's still bothering him today, so the prudent thing to do here is to back off and make sure we can calm this down and go from there and get him built back up.''