Red Sox Notes: J.D. Martinez, Boston Bounce Back In Finale Vs. Rays

The Boston Red Sox and slugger J.D. Martinez came into Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays in need of a bounce-back performance.

The Red Sox dropped the first two games of their three-game series with the Rays at Fenway Park, and had seen their lead atop the American League East shrink to just two games ahead of the New York Yankees. In Saturday’s 12-6 loss to Tampa Bay, Martinez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and a walk while going 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.

Bur Sunday was a different day.

Martinez went 4-for-4 with four singles, two RBI and a run scored in Boston’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory. It was the sixth time in the slugger’s career that he recorded four hits in a game and the second time this season. All four of Martinez’s hits had an exit velocity of over 100 mph.

“You know, obviously I’m constantly always working on my swing and grinding and trying to figure out what went wrong and stuff like that,” Martinez said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “But at the end of the day, there’s 162 games, you’re going to have good days, you’re going to have bad days so you just gotta flush it and a new day today.”

In 25 games this season, Martinez is hitting .330 with five home runs and 22 RBI, proving to be the middle-of-the-order threat the Red Sox thought he would be.

Here are more notes from Red Sox-Rays: 

— Rick Porcello gave up his first home run of the season Sunday in his 35th inning of work. He gave up a league-high 38 long balls in 2017. The righty gave up seven home runs in six starts last season.

— One of the big changes in Porcello’s season is the effectiveness of his changeup. Opposing hitters have registered a .154 average against the righty’s changeup through the first month. Batters hit .325 off Porcello’s changeup in 2017.

— Dustin Pedroia played in his first extended spring training game Friday, logging three innings in the field and recording one at-bat. The second baseman underwent a cartilage restoration procedure on his left knee in November and still is at least a month away from returning to the Red Sox.

— Boston now has won 25 consecutive games when giving Porcello at least three runs of support. In the last 36 games he has received at least three runs, Porcello is 30-0 with six no-decisions.

— Reliever Tyler Thornburg will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday. Thornburg has yet to pitch for Boston since being acquired prior to the 2017 season in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.