Hats off to the Boston Red Sox.
Not only did they avoid a letdown performance against the lowly Kansas City Royals after sweeping the New York Yankees this past weekend at Fenway Park. They also made an emphatic statement, winning all four of their games against K.C., including Thursday afternoon’s series finale 15-1.
The irony of Boston’s 15-run explosion wasn’t lost on Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“It started with a tribute to No. 15 and we scored 15 in the last game of the homestand,” Cora told reporters after the game, referencing last Friday’s celebration for Red Sox legend Dustin Pedroia.
The Red Sox now will carry a seven-game winning streak out West, where they’ll play three games against the Oakland Athletics and three against the Los Angeles Angels, a stretch that begins Friday night.
Before we focus on Boston’s upcoming road trip, let’s first dive into some notes from Thursday’s contest, during which the Red Sox produced 17 hits in a blowout victory.
— The Red Sox slugged four home runs, with Kiké Hernández, J.D. Martinez, Danny Santana and Rafael Devers going yard.
It’s the eighth time this season Boston has hit at least four home runs in a game, the most such performances in Major League Baseball.
Hernández’s homer was a leadoff shot.
Martinez’s was a solo blast off the light tower in left-center field.
Santana’s was a flick of the wrist that landed in the Red Sox’s bullpen and plated three runs.
Devers’ was an absolute laser over the bullpen that also scored three runs.
Every player in the Red Sox’s starting lineup produced at least one hit.
— How good have the Red Sox been during their seven-game winning streak?
Well, offensively, they batted .335 as a team while scoring 7.4 runs per game. And on the pitching side, their starters posted a 3.63 ERA while the bullpen had a sparkling 0.39 ERA.
— Xander Bogaerts (26 games) and Martinez (20 games) each extended their on-base streaks, which represent the two longest active on-base streaks in the majors.
— Devers recaptured the MLB lead in RBIs (69) by knocking in five runs. He now has 21 RBIs over his last 17 games, a stretch in which he’s batting .361 (22-for-61).
It’s been an awesome season for Devers, who leads the Red Sox with 20 home runs.
The only other left-handed hitters in Red Sox history to total at least 20 homers and 69 RBIs before the All-Star break: David Ortiz (4x), Mo Vaughn, Fred Lynn, Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams (3x).
— Nathan Eovaldi was excellent over seven shutout innings, allowing five hits without walking anyone. He struck out six and needed just 84 pitches — 63 of which were strikes — to work deep into the game.
Eovaldi is 5-2 with a 2.27 ERA in his last eight starts, giving the Red Sox some much-needed stability at a time when the rotation has experienced a few hiccups.
— Cora is well aware of the demanding schedule his club faces. As such, he’s planning accordingly in an effort to keep players fresh.
“It’s something we do as an organization,” Cora told reporters before the game. “We think about not only the present, but the future, too, and it’s very important to take care of these guys.”
Wednesday’s game didn’t end until well after midnight, thanks to two rain delays. The teams then had to be back at Fenway for a 1:10 p.m. ET start time Thursday, after which the Red Sox are traveling to Oakland for the start of their six-game West Coast road trip Friday night.
The Red Sox’s next off-day is scheduled for next Thursday, July 8. They’ll also have the All-Star break from July 12 to July 15, but after that, Boston is scheduled to play on 18 consecutive days (against American League East opponents) to begin the second half.
“We’re here for the long run,” Cora said. “We know where we’re at right now. We expect to play deep into the season. And for us to be at the top of our game, we have to take care of players.”
Bogaerts served as the designated hitter Thursday, with Martinez playing left field. The plan is for Martinez to be out of the lineup Friday, with Devers starting at DH.
— Chris Sale might soon embark on a rehab assignment. And while he probably won’t need a passport to do so, the left-hander acknowledged while speaking with reporters before Thursday’s game that he’d travel across the world if necessary.
“If you told me I had to go to wherever, I don’t care,” said Sale, whose rehab starts likely will take place at Triple-A Worcester and Double-A Portland. “I’d go to New Zealand to make a start if I have to. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m excited to get this thing going.”
Clearly, Sale is chomping at the bit as his return from Tommy John surgery inches closer.
— Also, did Sale just coin a new tagline for this Red Sox team?
Let’s see if “sandpaper” is a term that sticks.
