BOSTON — On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants combined for four runs on nine hits. By the end of the third inning Wednesday, they already had put up 13 runs on 18 hits.
Talk about polar opposites.
Neither team had a great performance from its starter, and the Red Sox have to be especially disappointed given it was the debut of newly acquired Drew Pomeranz.
In the end, the Red Sox won by an 11-7 final. The clubs combined for a whopping 31 hits, 16 of which belonged to Boston.
The Red Sox also took a half-game lead in the American League East on the Baltimore Orioles, who lost to the New York Yankees 5-0. It’s the first time Boston has led the division since June 4.
Let’s take a look at how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Yikes.
Giants starter Matt Cain was yanked after 2 1/3 innings pitched, Pomeranz lasted three-plus, and the two combined to give up five home runs.
Adding injury to insult, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts was hit in the helmet by a throw from Giants third baseman Ramiro Pena during the fourth inning. Bogaerts remained in the game, but it was a scary moment on a freak play.
A few batters later, Hanley Ramirez was plunked (after hitting home runs in his first two at-bats) and was walked down the first base line by an umpire.
Oh, and a group of loud and proud Giants fans made this a playoff-like atmosphere at Fenway Park. Talk about a wild night.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
Matt Barnes escaped a no-outs, bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning.
Tommy Layne had allowed two hits and a walk to begin the inning, in which the Red Sox were leading just 8-7 after a furious Giants comeback. But Barnes relieved Layne and got a double play and a pop out to end the threat unscathed.
Barnes went on to pitch three scoreless innings of relief — a sorely needed stopgap for the bleeding bullpen.
ON THE BUMP
— Pomeranz lasted just three-plus innings.
The 27-year-old left-hander was aided by a few nice defensive plays by Ramirez in the first few innings, or else the damage might have been worse.
Pomeranz led off the game with a walk to Denard Span but ended a scoreless inning three batters later after 21 pitches. Pomeranz also surrendered a double in the second inning and another hit in the third, but his night came to a screeching halt in the fourth.
Buster Posey led off that inning with a walk, and the Giants followed with six consecutive hits, scoring five runs on two home runs by Mac Williamson and Trevor Brown. Pomeranz threw 27 pitches in the inning, never recorded an out and was pulled with 80 pitches in his outing.
— Robbie Ross Jr. relieved Pomeranz and promptly retired the side. Ross walked a batter with two outs in the fifth and was pulled in favor of Heath Hembree, who allowed an inherited runner to score.
Ross’ final line: one earned run on one walk and no hits in 1 2/3 innings. He also struck out two batters.
— Hembree, as mentioned, allowed an inherited runner to score and then added another run to that list. He pitched just one-third of an inning but allowed one earned run on three hits.
— Layne came on to pitch the sixth inning. It didn’t go well. He allowed two singles and a walk before being relieved by Barnes.
— Barnes was the hero the Red Sox pitching staff needed, not the one it deserved.
As mentioned, his three scoreless innings of relief were critical. He tossed 46 pitches and allowed two hits with two strikeouts and earned the win.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Ramirez started things off with a bang in the second inning by launching a two-run homer that sent Williamson tumbling over the fence into the Red Sox bullpen.
Ramirez hit another two-run bomb to center field in his next at-bat and was hit in his third plate appearance. He added a third home run before grounding out in his final at-bat.
Ramirez finished the night 3-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI. He’s the second Sox batter to hit three home runs in a game this season. Mookie Betts also did it on May 31 in Baltimore against the Orioles.
— Travis Shaw got in on the fun, too, launching a solo home run later in the second inning.
— Boston’s bats rallied again in the third inning, scoring five runs, including Ramirez’s second homer.
— Every member of the Red Sox but Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz recorded a hit by the third inning.
Ortiz finally found a hit with a single in the sixth, and he scored on Ramirez’s third home of the night. Pedroia went hitless, and Shaw was the only other starter not to record multiple hits, along with Ortiz.
— Sandy Leon added his third homer of the season.
UP NEXT
Boston continues its nine-game homestand and welcomes the Minnesota Twins to town. Steven Wright (Red Sox) and Tyler Duffey (Twins) are the probable pitchers.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
