Red Sox manager Alex Cora shook up the batting order before Monday’s game and it resulted in one of Boston’s best offensive performances of the season.
The Red Sox blasted six home runs — three in the first inning alone — and came away with 14 hits en route to a 13-4 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field.
J.D. Martinez was 4-for-4 at the plate while Kiké Hernández (3-for-5, three RBIs, three runs) connected on a pair of homers.
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta got plenty of run support, highlighted by Boston’s eight runs in the first, as he claimed his eighth win of the season.
With the win, Boston improved to 57-38 on the season while Toronto fell to 48-43. Boston is 1 1/2 games up on the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East for first place.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Memorable.
It will be tough to replicate Boston’s success at the plate, especially in the first inning Monday.
ON THE BUMP
— Pivetta put together another respectable performance as he scattered 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The right-hander allowed four runs with four strikeouts and a pair of walks. He threw 75 of his 108 pitches for strikes.
Pivetta allowed all four runs in the fourth inning as the Blue Jays recorded five hits (one home run) and two walks.
— Hirokazu Sawamura relieved Pivetta and got the final out of the seventh inning after just two pitches.
— Darwinzon Hernandez struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth inning.
— Adam Ottavino came out for the ninth and retired the side with a pair of strikeouts.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The game got out of hand in a hurry as the Red Sox scored eight runs on six hits (three homers) before they recorded three outs. Yeah, it wasn’t a good day for Toronto starter Ross Stripling, who allowed six runs on four hits in a measly 1/3 of an inning.
Jarren Duran started off the scoring with the first home run of his major league career. Duran’s opposite-field blast, which measured 357 feet, scored Hernández (leadoff double) and gave Boston a 2-0 lead.
Hunter Renfroe then stepped to the plate with the bases loaded an unleashed a 403-foot grand slam to extend Boston’s lead to 6-0. Renfroe’s blast scored Rafael Devers (walk), J.D. Martinez (one-out double) and Alex Verdugo (walk).
Hernández then came back to the plate as the Red Sox batted around and put an exclamation on it with a two-out, 434-foot blast to score Kevin Plawecki (single). Hernández again extended Boston’s first-inning lead to 8-0.
— Boston’s bats continued to produce in the second.
Devers returned to the plate in the second inning and belted Boston’s fourth home run of the game. The solo shot went 392 feet to right field as Boston took a 9-0 lead.
Danny Santana, who returned to the Boston lineup after a stint on the injured list, kept the runs coming in the second with a two-out, two-run double that gave the Red Sox a 11-0 lead after two frames.
— Santana tallied his second hit of the night — and Boston’s fifth home run of the game — with a solo shot in the fourth inning. It measured 432 feet to center and gave Boston a 12-0 advantage.
— Hernández recorded his 500th career hit in the sixth inning and, wouldn’t you know it, the ball left the park yet again. The leadoff man sent a two-out line drive to left field and over the fence, measuring 382 feet. It gave Boston a 13-4 lead.
— Martinez (four), Hernández (three), Santana and Plawecki all recorded multiple hits.
— Boston had a season-high 10 extra base hits.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Well, this was a blast from the past.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Blue Jays continue their series Tuesday night. Garrett Richards is expected to get the ball for Boston, opposite of Thomas Hatch. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.
