Sox power way to win
J.D., X homers lift Sale
The power is back on at Fenway Park.
J.D. Martinez hit his 12th home run of the season and Xander Bogaerts hit his fifth last night, as the pair of multi-run shots propelled the Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the Oakland A’s.
The homers were the team’s 58th and 59th of the season. Entering the day, only the Cleveland Indians (63) had more.
Martinez’ two-run shot was a blast to center field in the first inning. Facing Trevor Cahill, who made his first start after returning from the disabled list, Martinez jumped ahead 2-1 and got an inside changeup that he hit squarely.
In his first year with the Red Sox since signing a five-year, $110 million contract in February, Martinez started off cold but has been one of the hottest hitters in the majors since April 13. He’s hitting .388 with 10 homers and 26 RBI over 30 games since.
Since the start of last season, his 57 homers are third-most in the majors to only Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.
The addition of Martinez isn’t the only reason the Red Sox are hitting more long balls.
It’s all about their approach, which has changed dramatically under manager Alex Cora. Owner John Henry made headlines in spring training when he said he was disappointed in the approach of the 2017 Red Sox and thought they needed to make some changes.
Bogaerts is one of the clear benefactors of the new philosophy. His aggressive style has led to him hitting half his home run total of 2017 through just 43 games.
He took a huge hack on a 1-1 slider from Ryan Dull in the sixth inning and blasted it over everything in left field. It was struck so well Bogaerts knew it was gone, dropping his bat and admiring it for a few seconds before he rounded the bases.
The 25-year-old shortstop is swinging at 48 percent of the pitches he sees this year, up big from 42 percent last year. He’s hitting .306 to go with his five homers.
Chris Sale didn’t look quite like himself, walking four batters for the first time all year. But he allowed just one hit until the fifth inning, when he served up a two-run long ball to Marcus Semien.
It was the second and final hit Sale allowed, and it almost got caught by Mookie Betts in right. Betts backed himself up against the wall and lifted his glove, but his right foot appeared to take an awkward bend at the wall and Betts crumbled to the ground, the ball sailing just over his glove.
Betts stretched it out and stayed in the game.
Sale stayed in for just five innings and the bullpen picked him up from there, with Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel handling the final four innings.
Kimbrel allowed his fourth homer of the year in the ninth.
Sale threw a season-high 116 pitches his last time out and was held to 102 pitches this time, just 60 for strikes. He struck out nine.