BOSTON — The Red Sox are catching fire at the perfect time.
The Red Sox kicked off a seven-game homestand in style Monday, walloping the Baltimore Orioles in a 12-2 blowout at Fenway Park.
A stellar outing from David Price and a 16-hit onslaught at the plate helped Boston earn its fifth win in six games and maintain a two-game lead in the American League East.
Here’s how this one went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Relentless.
The Red Sox scored at least one run in each of the first seven innings, launched three home runs over a span of three innings and amassed 16 hits as part of an unstoppable night at the plate.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Red Sox came to the plate in the first inning.
Boston left little doubt in this one, jumping all over Orioles starter Wade Miley with a five-run first inning and keeping its foot on the pedal all night.
ON THE BUMP
— Price pitched a terrific game to earn his seventh consecutive win, the longest such streak of his career.
The Red Sox left-hander allowed just two hits over eight complete innings, striking out nine batters and walking no one. The Orioles made those hits count, though, as Chris Davis and Manny Machado each crushed mammoth solo home runs to left field off Price.
Price improved to 16-8 with the win and lowered his ERA on the season to 3.81.
— Junichi Tazawa allowed one walk in a scoreless ninth inning.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston’s offense exploded out of the gate, as each of the Red Sox’s first five batters recorded hits en route to a five-run first inning.
Mookie Betts helped set the tone, roping a two-RBI double and later catching the Orioles napping to score from home on Steve Pearce’s lazy throw to the infield after a Hanley Ramirez single.
—Â Ramirez helped the Sox tack on another run in the second by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
— Ramirez also blasted a monster solo shot over the Green Monster in the fourth inning, his 24th of the season and fourth in his last five games. He went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored.
— David Ortiz continued the home run parade in the sixth with his own solo homer, Boston’s third long ball in as many innings. It was Ortiz’s 33rd homer of the season and second in as many games.
— Chris Young had himself a night and finished a triple shy of the cycle with a 4-for-4 effort that included a solo homer, his ninth of the season, in the fifth inning.
— Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-4 with a run scored before Deven Marrero replaced him in the seventh inning. Pedroia now has multiple hits in 13 of his last 16 games.
— Xander Bogaerts also tallied a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Six of the Red Sox’s nine starters had at least two hits, including catcher Sandy Leon (2-for-3, two RBIs.)
— Yoan Moncada got his first Fenway Park at-bat, pinch hitting for Ortiz in the seventh, but struck out. He now has struck out in nine consecutive at-bats.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Poor Steve Pearce. (He didn’t catch this.)
UP NEXT
Left-hander Drew Pomeranz will get the call Tuesday in the middle contest of the teams’ three-game set. The Orioles will counter with righty Dylan Bundy. First pitch at Fenway is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
