Red Sox Rout Rangers
BOSTON — You know the Boston Red Sox had some sort of redemption on their minds after being hammered 21-2 at home by the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
But 22 runs on 37 hits?
“I thought we did a really job of turning the page,” Mookie Betts said after his two-run homer helped the Red Sox to a 12-5 drubbing of the Texas Rangers in Monday’s holiday matinee.
The Red Sox spotted the team with the best record in the American League four runs in the first inning and then roared back with a season-high 21 hits ? a day after beating those same Angels 10-5 with 16 hits.
Every player in Boston’s lineup had at least one hit in both games.
“Setting aside the blowout game, we’ve been swinging the bat much better as the calendar has turned (to July),” said manager John Farrell, whose team has recorded 29 runs on 61 hits while going 3-1 on the nine-game homestand leading up to the All-Star break.
As far as his team bouncing back, Farrell said, “I can’t give you the exact reason why Saturday night took place but we were able to put it behind us. Someone asked what the attitude in the clubhouse
was and I mentioned what was there (it was positive) and we’ve allowed that and seen it to play out on the field.”
With Rick Porcello (10-2) rebounding from the shaky first to become the team’s first 10-game winner, Cinderella story Sandy Leon ripped four more hits and Brock Holt, Dustin Pedroia and Travis Shaw also homered. Xander Bogaerts and Pedroia had three hits apiece and Hanley Ramirez and David Ortiz both ripped two doubles for the Red Sox – on a day the manager said Fenway Park “played tiny.”
Betts also hit what looked like a home run but it was deemed foul and the call stood (inconclusive) upon review.
Leon, who had 39 hits and a .187 career batting average in 209 major league at-bats heading into the season, is 20-for-40 and has forced the team’s hand roster-wise. Fellow catcher Ryan Hanigan returns from the disabled list Tuesday and Christian Vazquez has been optioned to Triple-A.
The Red Sox had 13 extra-base hits (nine doubles), tying the Rangers’ record for extra-base hits allowed in a game. Texas also yielded 13 in a 17-5 loss in Boston on June 4, 1913.
Porcello, who is 4-0 with five no-decisions in his last nine starts, gave up five hits in the first inning and 12 overall but still improved to 7-0 in eight starts at Fenway Park this season. He hasn’t lost since May 17.
“Pors has been extremely comfortable at home here,” Farrell said. “I thought today again, even though there were a high number of hits a lot of them came on the ground … this ballpark played extremely small today.”
Nick Martinez (1-2) was pelted with six runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings for Texas.
“Momentum starts with the starting pitching,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “Put four runs on the board early, we couldn’t keep them from scoring. It was a tough day for Nick Martinez. This is a very disciplined group of hitters. They’re not going to chase when they’re ahead in the count.
“Look, 13 extra-base hits today that our pitchers gave up, very challenging day. We got to be better than that.”
Holt, who is 5-for-13 with three extra base hits since returning from a concussion, hit a go-ahead two-run homer in a four-run third inning and also cut down a run at the plate from left field.
Pedroia, who bounced into his major league-leading 16th double play, led off the seventh with his 500th career extra-base hit.
Rougned Odor, who had been in a slump, had a two-run single in the first inning, hit his 16th homer of the season leading off the eighth against Koji Uehara. He joined teammates Adrian Beltre and Ian Desmond with three hits in the game.
