THE FIRST PITCH
The Red Sox are rolling right now. They’ve won 6 in a row, the longest active streak in the MLB. On Sunday the Sox offense pounded out 17-hits and 6 home runs en route to a 14-9 win over the Orioles and the Sox second consecutive series sweep.
3 UP 3 DOWN
Up:
J.D. Martinez: There’s hot, and then there’s JD Martinez. The Sox slugger bashed 3 home runs in a 4 for 6 afternoon against the Orioles. Martinez is now 3rd in the American League in batting with a .472 average and leads the league with 5 home runs and 16 RBI.
Rafael Devers: 2-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI. Devers is starting to heat up at the plate. He smashed a pair of homers (the 3rd straight game he has gone deep). He also started the game with a couple of great defensive plays in the early innings including this double play.
Hot corner staying hot. ? pic.twitter.com/6BoTcPQvkC
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 11, 2021
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo picked up his first home run of the season, a 3 run jack, one of 2 hits on the afternoon. Verdugo has been off to a slow start this season and the Sox need to see more games like this from their number 2 hitter.
Down
Austin Brice: 0.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB
Not great to come out of the bullpen and walk two guys. Even worse when you let the Orioles get back in the game by giving up a 3 run home run. On to the next for Brice.
Marwin Gonzalez: 0-4, 1 R, 1K
The only Red Sox batter not to record a hit today.
The Media: All the Boston media who buried the Sox (and their were many) after their 0-3 start. The Sox have since reeled off 6 straight and sit alone atop the AL East. The Sox lead the AL in batting average and runs scored. May need to hold off on those 2021 eulogies a little while longer.
TURNING POINT
In the third inning Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez broke the game open by hitting back to back home runs. This gave the lineup great energy for the rest of the game and let Pivetta be comfortable with a lead.
CLEARING THE BASES
- Bobby Dalbec only went 1-4 today but he had a couple of hard hit balls and his double was nearly his first homer of the year.
- J.D. Martinez has an extra base hit in every game he’s played for the Sox this year for a total of 8 straight games (9 straight including last season).
- Christian Vasquez came back to earth a little bit today going 1-5.
