BOSTON — Unlucky No. 7 was the final straw for the Red Sox.
After failing to earn a single win in consecutive three-game series and dropping Monday night’s meeting with Atlanta, too, the Red Sox finally busted out of their season-long slump Tuesday with a 9-4 takedown of the Braves at Fenway Park.
Leading the charge for Boston was Brock Holt, who doubled in the first inning, singled in the fifth, homered in the seventh and tripled in the eighth to become the first Red Sox batter since John Valentin in 1996 to hit for the cycle.
GAME IN A WORD
High-powered.
The Red Sox’s offense smacked around Braves starter Julio Teheran and two relievers for 18 hits — their season high for a nine-inning game.
Boston left-hander Wade Miley, meanwhile, countered by doing the opposite, holding Atlanta to just two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up his fifth win in seven starts.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Holt, batting leadoff in place of the injured Dustin Pedroia, homered on the first pitch he saw in the seventh inning to put the Red Sox up 6-2.
Holt and Mookie Betts formed a devastating 1-2 punch atop the Boston batting order, going a combined 7-for-10 with two doubles, two triples, one home run, three RBIs and four runs scored.
ON THE BUMP
— Miley, whose last start was marred by a dugout confrontation with manager John Farrell, came out of the gate strong, allowing only one baserunner and striking out five over his first three innings. The Braves touched him for two runs in the fourth, however, and needed only one hit to do so. A walk, a wild pitch, a double, a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout in the frame allowed Atlanta to knot the score at two runs apiece.
Overall, though, it was a strong rebound performance for the southpaw, who allowed a runner past first base in just two of the seven innings in which he appeared. He threw a season-high 111 pitches in the ballgame before being removed with one out in the seventh. Miley had allowed back-to-back singles in the frame, but Junichi Tazawa came on in relief and recorded two consecutive outs to close the book on the Red Sox starter.
— Tazawa tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two, before giving way to closer Koji Uehara. Uehara struggled mightily in the ninth, giving up three consecutive one-out doubles and allowing two runs to score, but he ultimately was able to lock down the win.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston’s offense showed signs of life early against Teheran. Holt and Betts smacked consecutive doubles to lead off the game, with Holt coming around to score on Betts’ two-bagger.
David Ortiz and Xander Bogaerts — who started in the cleanup spot for the first time in his major league career — followed with a single and a walk, respectively, to load the bases. Pablo Sandoval then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but it was enough to bring Betts home from third to give the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead.
— After a few relatively quiet frames, the Red Sox broke back out with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Betts led off that inning with a triple, and Mike Napoli and Alejandro De Aza later came up with consecutive two-out doubles, with De Aza’s scoring both Napoli and Pablo Sandoval.
Napoli’s performance Tuesday (2-for-4, one run scored) was especially encouraging given his recent struggles at the dish. The first baseman was held out of Boston’s previous two games after going hitless in 18 consecutive at-bats.
— Holt’s shot into the Monster seats in the seventh made it 6-2 in favor of the home team, and Boston added more insurance in the following frame. Sandoval doubled, De Aza tripled, No. 9 hitter Rusney Castillo reached for the first time on an infield single, and Holt tripled into the center field triangle to drive in Boston’s final three runs.
TWEET OF THE GAME
One of Nomar’s final games in a Red Sox uniform.
[tweet https://twitter.com/BillBallouTG/status/610916079871787008 align=’center’]
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Braves kick off the southern portion of their home-and-home Wednesday night, when they open a two-game set at Turner Field.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
