As for the game, JD Martinez may have the sniffles but whatever he's got has made him the best player in the league for one game anyway. Martinez hit not one, not two but THREE home runs against the Baltimore Orioles. Rafael Devers hit two of his own and Alex Verdugo also went yard. The Sox had 7 home runs as a team going into today and they hit SIX in just today's game. Nick Pivetta (2-0, 3.27 ERA) remains undefeated as a member of the Red Sox as he tossed 6 solid innings. The Sox jumped out to a 10-1 lead but things got hairy after Maikel Franco hit a 3 run homer off Pivetta and Trey Mancini hit a 3 run homer off Austin Brice. Martinez then hit his third homer of the day and Devers his second to end the threat. The O's did get more runs in the ninth but it wasn't enough as the Sox swept the O's 14-9 at Camden Yards.
O's starter Jorge Lopez got the ball in the top of the first and Kike Hernandez lined out to right to start. Alex Verdugo was plunked but JD Martinez struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts singled to right but Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cedric Mullins struck out swinging to start. Trey Mancini walked and for some inane reason Anthony Santander dropped down a bunt to move Trey to second. Ryan Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning.
Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Marwin Gonzalez lined out to center. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. DJ Stewart singled to right to start the bottom of the second but Maikel Franco hit a bullet to Devers who doubled off Stewart for the double play. Rio Ruiz grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Franchy Cordero grounded out to third to start.....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call and sure enough, Franchy was safe. Hernandez singled to left and Verdugo clobbered his first home run of the season to put the Sox up. Martinez then crushed his first home run of the game for back to back jacks. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Devers walked. Vazquez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.
Pivetta put his body on the line in the bottom of the third as Pedro Severino lined out to center to start. Freddy Galvis singled to center and Mullins singled to right, both moving into scoring position on the grounder by Mancini. Santander took strike three and Pivetta threw a pitch that got away from Vazquez. Galvis took off for home and Vazquez threw to Pivetta....OUT! Galvis was tagged out and the O's challenged the call, but it was upheld to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez grounded out to second to start. Dalbec flied out to center and Cordero grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The O's struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Mountcastle doubled to left to start. Stewart popped up to short but Franco singled home Mountcastle to put the O's on the board. Ruiz banged into a double play to end the inning with the O's down 4-1.
The Sox exploded in the top of the fifth as Hernandez singled to center to start. Verdugo singled to center and Martinez drove in Hernandez with a base hit to left. Mac Sceroler replaced Lopez and Bogaerts struck out swinging. Devers stepped up with a 3 run bomb to dead center to increase the lead. Vazquez singled to right but Gonzalez struck out swinging. Dalbec doubled to left and Cordero walked to load the bases. Hernandez got plunked to drive in Vazquez with another run but Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.
Pivetta got Seeverino to strike out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Galvis walked. Mullins struck out swinging and Mancini flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth when Martinez pounded his second home run of the day to increase the lead.. Bogaerts singled to center and Devers reached when Sceroler threw the grounder away for an error. Tyler Wells came in to pitch and Vazquez popped up to first. Gonzalez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.
That's two for JD
Pivetta got tagged in the bottom of the sixth as Ryan McKenna pinch hit for Santander and tripled over the head of Hernandez to start. Mountcastle went down hacking but Stewart walked. Franco then hit a home run all the way to Mars to cut the lead. Ruiz struck out swinging and Severino flied out to right to end the inning but it was 10-4 Sox. That was it for Pivetta who pitched well up until the three run homer, putting him in line for the win.
Ramon Urias gave Galvis the rest of the day off in the top of the seventh and Dalbec lined out to center to start. Cordero struck out swinging and Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Austin Brice came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Urias and Mullins drew back to back walks to start. Mancini then clobbered a home run all the way into the Gulf of Mexico to cut the lead. Brice recovered to strike out both McKenna and Mountcastle swinging but Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Hiro Sawamura to quell the uprising. Stewart popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox were only ahead 10-7.
The Sox answered in the top of the eighth as Verdugo popped up to third to start, but Martinez smashed his third home run of the game to ice the game. Shawn Armstrong replaced Wells and Bogaerts doubled to left. Devers then smashed his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Vazquez grounded out to third but Gonzalez was plunked. Dalbec walked and Cordero hit a routine grounder to second...BOOTED BY RUIZ! Gonzalez scored the final run and Dalbec took third on the play. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead by a touchdown 14-7.
Sawamura returned for the bottom of the eighth and Franco popped up to third to start. Hernandez then made a great catch at the wall to rob Ruiz but Severino walked. Urias popped up to third to end the inning.
Paul Fry of treachery came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Martinez also went down hacking and Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Bogaerts. Arroyo singled in the hole at short but Devers whiffed to end the inning. Phillips Valdez came in to throw up on himself in the bottom of the ninth. The pain in the ass Mullins doubled to left and took third on a wild pitch. Mancini grounded out to short but Mullins scored to cut the lead. McKenna singled to center but Mountcastle flied out to center. McKenna moved to second then to third on defensive indifference then scored on a passed ball four to Stewart. Franco walked but Ruiz struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox avenged their opening weekend sweep by sweeping the Orioles out of Baltimore 14-9.
Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. He hit 3 home runs, drove in 4 total runs and kept the Sox ahead the whole game.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with an rbi, a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with 3 total rbis, a home run, a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with a run scored.
Christian Arroyo singled in his only plate appearance.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a walk, 2 home runs, 5 total rbis and 2 runs scored.
Hiro Sawamura tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Austin Brice allowed 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Phillips Valdez allowed 2 runs in the ninth inning.
The Ugly:
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.
Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with an error but drew a walk.
Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Nick Pivetta got the win but allowed 4 runs in just 6 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:'
How about those first place Red Sox? After getting swept out of Fenway Park by the Orioles, they haven't lost since. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays and paid back the O's by sweeping them out of Camden Yards. They beat them close and they beat the daylights out of them today. JD Martinez and Rafael Devers were an absolute wrecking crew with 5 home runs and 9 runs batted in between them. The key to this season is going to be these two because they both struggled last year big time. Bogaerts and Vazquez have been consistent the last 3 years but these two are going to be the straws that stir the drink. Pivetta pitched very well until the 3 run home run and that's all they need from him. He's never going to be an ace pitcher but as a 4th or 5th starter, that's all you can ask for and he's done it in his short time with the Sox. Brice and Valdez got tagged hard and they're the holdovers from 2020, meaning they don't need to be used in high leverage situations anymore. The guy they did use, Sawamura, did the job when things got hairy. Its been a fun week for sure and especially nice after the horrible start they had. The Sox look to keep their momentum going when they travel to Minnesota for a four game set with the defending AL Central champion Twins. Tomorrow afternoon Martin Perez (0-0, 5.40 ERA) takes on former Toronto Blue Jays ace JA Happ of the Twins. The game begins at 2:10 PM at Target Field.
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