Recap - Red Sox Crush Rays For 7th Straight
Jim Monaghan
Content Coordinator
The Red Sox slammed three home runs and Rick Porcello pitched into the eighth inning to push Boston to its seventh straight win, 10-3 over the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Porcello gave up a pair of first-inning runs before settling in and retiring 20 of the next 21 batters he faced. He went 7.1 innings for his second win of the year, allowing six hits and striking out seven. He didn't walk a batter.
Xander Bogaerts (pictured) continued his torrid start with a grand slam and a double, driving in six runs.
J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each hit their first home runs of the year, both coming in the seventh inning.
The Rays' "bullpen day" plan - they're using four starting pitchers, with the bullpen expected to carry the load on the fifth day of the rotation - has clearly hit a speed bump. Just eight games into the season, they had to resort to infielder Daniel Robertson to finish the game on the mound.
Yes, the Red Sox really haven't faced a good team yet; their first eight games have been against the Rays and Marlins. But the signs are more than encouraging. The starting pitching has been exceptional, the bats appear to be finding a groove, and eight games in, the team has yet to make an error.
Boston gets its first real test of the season Tuesday through Thursday when the Yankees come to Fenway for a three-game series.
Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.
Content Coordinator
The Red Sox slammed three home runs and Rick Porcello pitched into the eighth inning to push Boston to its seventh straight win, 10-3 over the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
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| Photo courtesy of the Associated Press |
Xander Bogaerts (pictured) continued his torrid start with a grand slam and a double, driving in six runs.
J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each hit their first home runs of the year, both coming in the seventh inning.
The Rays' "bullpen day" plan - they're using four starting pitchers, with the bullpen expected to carry the load on the fifth day of the rotation - has clearly hit a speed bump. Just eight games into the season, they had to resort to infielder Daniel Robertson to finish the game on the mound.
Yes, the Red Sox really haven't faced a good team yet; their first eight games have been against the Rays and Marlins. But the signs are more than encouraging. The starting pitching has been exceptional, the bats appear to be finding a groove, and eight games in, the team has yet to make an error.
Boston gets its first real test of the season Tuesday through Thursday when the Yankees come to Fenway for a three-game series.
Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.
