Field Level Media
Apr 7, 2018
Xander Bogaerts clubbed a grand slam and had a career-high six RBIs to power the Boston Red Sox to their seventh consecutive victory with a 10-3 rout of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.
It was Bogaerts' second career grand slam and the Red Sox's first since Dustin Pedroia's slam on Sept. 24, 2016 at Tampa Bay. Bogaerts (2-for-3, walk) also hit a two-run double, his major-league-leading seventh two-bagger through eight games.
Brad Miller drove in a pair of runs and Denard Span was 2-for-4 with an RBI for Tampa Bay, which dropped its seventh straight and hasn't won since a 6-4 victory over Boston in the season opener on March 29.
J.D. Martinez (1-for-2, walk) hit a solo shot for his first home run as a Red Sox and drove in two runs while Rafael Devers (2-for-3, walk) added a solo blast and had two RBIs. Boston starter Rick Porcello (2-0) allowed three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
Rays starter Jake Faria (0-1) lasted 1 2/3 innings after surrendering a career-high eight runs on five hits and five walks. The 24-year-old held the Red Sox to a run on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts over four innings in a no-decision last Sunday.
Tampa Bay struck first in the opening inning on Miller's two-run double.
Martinez teased a grand slam of his own with a deep sacrifice fly to right-center field with nobody out in the Red Sox's first. Bogaerts followed with his two-run double and Devers tacked on an RBI single to make it 4-2.
Bogaerts' slam came with two outs in the second and traveled approximately 425 feet over the Green Monster in left. Martinez hit his homer an estimated 420 feet over the Monster to lead off the seventh, and Devers knocked his first of the season to right two batters later.
Span plated Tampa Bay's final run with his RBI single in the eighth. Rays infielder Daniel Robertson tossed a scoreless eighth inning in his first career appearance on the mound.
Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez makes his season debut in Sunday's series finale. Rodriguez, who started the season on the disabled list while recovering from right knee surgery, will be countered by a combination of relievers on Tampa Bay's bullpen day.
--Field Level Media