The Red Sox kicked off their Players’ Weekend series against the Padres with a bang.
Boston demolished San Diego 11-0 on Friday night at Petco Park. And the Sox dominated from the beginning.
Eduardo Rodriguez was lights out for Boston, putting together seven innings of solid work. Padres starter Chris Paddack, meanwhile, was chased from the game after just 2 1/3 innings after getting rocked early and often by the Sox. J.D. Martinez went off at the plate, crushing a pair of three-run homers.
Boston improves to 69-61 with the win while San Diego falls to 59-68.
Here’s how it all went down:
WORD OF THE GAME
Stellar.
Boston’s bats were ablaze Friday night.
ON THE BUMP
— Rodriguez was in complete command during his 27th start of the season.
The southpaw pitched seven solid innings for the Sox, allowing just five hits and one walk while striking out six. He also benefitted from four impressive double plays turned by Boston’s defense, avoiding jams at every turn.
It was one of his best performances of the season.
— Josh Smith tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning. He would return to the mound for the ninth, despite taking a line drive off the hand at the end of the eighth, and closed things out for the Sox with a near-perfect inning.
IN THE BATTERS BOX
— Martinez wasted no time putting the Sox on the board.
The right fielder crushed a three-run blast over the center field wall in the first inning, making it 3-0 Boston just one out into the game. It was his 29th homer of the season.
Flaco's got pop! pic.twitter.com/UAsdOQhCih
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 24, 2019
— The Sox did more damage in the second.
Mookie Betts picked up his 66th RBI of the season, driving Mitch Moreland home from third to make it 4-0 Sox. Rafael Devers followed that up with his 48th double of the season, plating Brock Holt from second for the Sox’s fifth run of the night.
Raffy. Carita. Doesn't matter. Still raking. pic.twitter.com/9Ryg21qTuA
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 24, 2019
Xander Bogaerts ripped a double of his own into the right field corner just one batter later.
And just like that, it was 6-0 Boston.
— Martinez earned his fourth RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly in the fourth for the Sox’s seventh run of the game.
— Boston’s bats stayed hot in the sixth.
Bogaerts started things off with an RBI single. Then it was back to the Martinez show, with the right fielder launching his second three-run homer of the night to make it 11-0.
If you're keeping track at home, that's now TWO three-run shots tonight for @JDMartinez28! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/m8IRX95DMB
— NESN (@NESN) August 24, 2019
— The Sox collected 14 hits off the Padres in Game 1.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Lookin’ spiffy in black.
⚫️ #PlayersWeekend ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/GJAuLlSQf6
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 24, 2019
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Padres will play Game 2 of their three-game set Saturday night, with Nathan Eovaldi slated to take the mound for Boston. First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. ET.
