The Red Sox fully exacted revenge against the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.
Boston suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of Baltimore to start the season, and it hasn’t lost since. The Red Sox extended their win streak to six games with a 14-9 win over the O’s, marking the club’s second consecutive three-game sweep of an American League East rival.
Nick Pivetta struck out seven over six innings, but it was all about the offense for Boston in the series finale. The visitors walloped six home runs, three of which were off the bat of J.D. Martinez.
The Red Sox improved to 7-3 with the win, while the Orioles dipped to 4-5.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Power.
The baseball was flying all over the ballpark, as the clubs combined for 13 extra-base hits.
ON THE BUMP
— After striking out two in a scoreless first, Pivetta allowed his first hit in the second inning when DJ Stewart led off the frame with a single. But thanks in large to an unassisted double play from Rafael Devers, Boston’s starter only needed seven pitches to get through the second.
Baltimore appeared bound to crack the scoreboard in the third when it loaded the bases with one out. The O’s ultimately came away with nothing in the inning, as Pivetta punched out Anthony Santander and tagged out Freddy Galvis, who tried to reach home on a passed ball.
The Orioles did get on the board in the fourth, however. Ryan Mountcastle roped a lead-off double and was knocked in courtesty of a Maikel Franco single two batters later.
Pivetta struck out two in a scoreless fifth but proceeded to run into some trouble in the sixth. After a Ryan McKenna triple and a Stewart walk, Franco clobbered a three-run home run to trim Boston’s lead to six. Pivetta’s day was over after he recorded the final two outs of the sixth.
— — Austin Brice replaced Pivetta in the seventh and did not fare well. The right-hander walked the first two batters of the inning before giving up a three-run homer to Trey Mancini. Brice responded with back-to-back strikeouts but did not finish the frame.
— Alex Cora turned to Hirokazu Sawamura with two outs in the seventh and the Red Sox newcomer logged the final out of the inning. Sawamura stayed on for the eighth and recorded a scoreless frame.
— Phillips Valdez entered in the ninth and allowed a lead-off double to Cedric Mullins, who advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Mancini groundout. Valdez then gave up a single to McKenna, who took two bags via defensive indifference and scored on a wild pitch. The righty worked around two walks and struck out Rio Ruiz to end the game.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox opened the scoring in the third when Franchy Cordero (1-for-4) and Kiké Hernandez (2-for-5, RBI) led off the inning with singles and Alex Verdugo (2-for-5) cleared the bases with a three-run home run. Martinez (4-for-6) followed Verdugo with a long ball of his own, extending Boston’s lead to 4-0.
— After a scoreless fourth, Boston started to blow it open in the fifth. Hernandez and Verdugo got things rolling with singles, and Martinez brought in the former with an RBI base knock. Two batters later, the visitors ballooned their lead to 8-1 when Devers (2-for-6) deposited a three-run home run into the right-field bleachers. Boston tacked on one more in the fifth when Hernandez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
— Martinez blasted his second opposite-field home run of the game in the sixth.
— The Red Sox ripped two more home runs in the eighth. Martinez’s third of the game was a one-out solo shot to center field and Devers’ second of the contest — a two-run shot — came after Xander Bogaerts (3-for-5) doubled. Boston boosted its lead to 14-7 after two walks and an Orioles error.
— Marwin Gonzazez was the lone Red Sox starter to be held without a hit.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Martinez is on some type of tear to start the season.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will open up a four-game series in Minnesota against the Twins on Monday. The opener is slated to feature a starting pitching matchup of veteran southpaws, as Martin Perez is set to toe the rubber for Boston opposite J.A. Happ. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET and NESN will have complete coverage, with pregame action beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
