Red Sox Wrap: Early Bats Explode As Boston Avoids Sweep Against Athletics

The Boston Red Sox put an end to their offensive skid Thursday night at Fenway Park, and their two home runs and 13 hits propelled them to an 8-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

The win also snapped a three-game losing streak as the Red Sox avoided a sweep from the Athletics, despite losing just their third series of the season.

The Red Sox improved to 23-16 with the win while the Athletics fell to 23-16 with the loss.

Here’s how it went down:

GAME IN A WORD (OR TWO?)
Early offense.

The Red Sox scored six runs — two home runs — before they even recorded six outs.

ON THE BUMP
— Garrett Richards put together another solid start, despite losing it a little bit in the late innings.

Richards went six frames while allowing five hits and zero runs. He threw 52 of his 91 pitches for strikes with four strikeouts.

Richards got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth inning by inducing an inning-ending double play to third baseman Rafael Devers.

— Garrett Whitlock took over in the seventh and went the rest of the way.

He finished allowing three hits and one earned run in three full innings. Whitlock recorded two strikeouts while 29 of his 51 pitches went for strikes.

Whitlock also benefitted from a highlight-reel defensive play in the seventh when right fielder Hunter Renfroe recorded his second outfield assist in as many nights. Jonathan Araúz relayed a Renfroe throw to catcher Christian Vázquez, who tagged Oakland’s Sean Murphy out at the plate.

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IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox went to work early during Thursday’s win.

Xander Bogaerts recorded his eighth homer of the season on a two-run shot in the first inning. Bogaerts’ blast scored J.D. Martinez, who ripped an RBI-single scoring Michael Chavis (leadoff double) earlier in the inning.

— Bobby Dalbec and the Sox kept the offense rolling in the second inning. Dalbec blasted a two-run shot to center field, measuring at 432 feet, to extend Boston’s lead to 5-0.

— Bogaerts recored his second hit of the game, an RBI-double to score Araúz, to give the Red Sox a 6-0 advantage after six outs.

— Vázquez led off the third inning with a single to left field, went to second on a Renfroe single and to third on a Dalbec infield single. Vázquez came around to score on a fielder’s choice by Araúz, which gave Boston a 7-0 lead.

— Chavis hit his second double of the game with one out in the sixth. He went to third on a ground ball by Alex Verdugo and scored on an overthrow after an infield single by Martinez.

— Bogaerts (three), Martinez (three), Chavis (two), Renfroe (two) and Dalbec (two) each had multiple hits.

TWEET OF THE NIGHT
He may not have been playing at Fenway Park, but Red Sox prospect Jarren Durran unleashed a moonshot down in Worcester.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox will kick off a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels starting Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET, which you can watch on NESN.