The Boston Red Sox will take the series against the Los Angeles Angels after a 9-0 win Saturday in the second game of the set.
Martín Pérez's earned his first mound win (eight starts) this season, thanks to the most run support he's received all year, to say the least.
Boston blasted three home runs off the bats of birthday boy Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers in a 12-hit game. The bottom of the lineup came alive as well with Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero producing at the plate.
With the win, the Red Sox improve to to 25-16 on the season.
Here's how it all went down:
ON THE MOUND
-- It took a season-high 97 pitches, but Pérez finally got his first win of the season.
He tossed six full innings without allowing a run as he gave up just four hits. The left-hander did allow four walks and was shaky to start, but settled in en route to five strikeouts.
-- Phillips Valdéz got the seventh inning and held the shutout, walking one, striking out another and making a play on a ground ball to end the inning.
-- Darwinzon Hernandez had a bit of a rocky eighth, walking the first batter he saw and allowing him to advance thanks to a wild pitch. Right after that, he walked Anthony Rendon, who joined Taylor Ward on the bases, but the final batter of the inning grounded out to get him out of trouble.
-- Austin Brice closed the game out thanks to a double play that ended it. He threw 12 of his 17 pitches for strikes and gave up one hit with a strikeout.
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
-- Verdugo got things going as Boston took an early lead in the first inning following a solo homer to right. It gave the Red Sox a 1-0 advantage. Verdugo went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
-- Xander Bogaerts led off the fourth with a double and Rafael Devers followed it up with a walk to set up Bobby Dalbec three batters later. With two outs, Dalbec hit a double off the wall to score Bogaerts and Devers. Franchy Cordero followed that up with another double to score Dalbec and the Red Sox went up 4-0 by the end of the inning.
Dalbec finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
-- Bogaerts blasted his longest home run of the season (446 feet) well over the Green Monster in the bottom of the fifth. It helped score Verdugo and Martinez who singled back-to-back to start the frame and extended Boston's lead to 7-0.
Bogaerts was 2-for-2 with two runs, three RBIs and a walk.
-- Cordero recorded another RBI double after Dalbec led off the sixth with a double of his own to make it 8-0. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
-- Devers was the final member of the Red Sox to go yard Saturday, hitting one 408 feet to right to tack on an extra run. His day at the plate saw him go 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a walk.
-- Martinez was 2-for-4 with a run. Marwin González, Christian Vázquez and Hunter Renfroe went hitless.
TWEET OF THE GAME
OK, this happened pregame, but it's worthy of note:
UP NEXT
Boston took care of the series, but there's one more game against the Angels on Sunday as the Red Sox go for the sweep. First pitch from Fenway Park is at 1:10 p.m. ET, which you can watch on NESN.
