Moreland, Benintendi power Red Sox Yankees rained out
— Rick Porcello pitched well into the seventh, Mitch Moreland and Andrew Benintendi each homered and the Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 9-3 Sunday night.
Boston slugger J.D. Martinez was pinch hit for by Sam Travis in the ninth inning, and cameras showed him talking to a team trainer in the dugout and pointing to his lower back. There was no immediate word on if Martinez was injured. Travis hit a two-run single.
Porcello (8-2) allowed three runs — two Houston earned — on five hits with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Porcello has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 13 starts this season.
Moreland, who had three hits, hit a two-run homer to center in the first to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Benintendi hit a solo homer in the fifth.
Brock Holt knocked a two-run triple to center in the sixth, and Blake Swihart followed with an RBI single to chase Houston starter Charlie Morton (7-1). Holt added an RBI single in the eighth.
Morton was tagged for a season-high six runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Morton ended his career-best 10-game winning streak dating to September. He had allowed three runs or fewer in each of his previous six starts.
George Springer led off the first with a solo home run to left for Houston. It was Springer's fourth leadoff homer of the season.
Alex Bregman cut the lead to 6-3 with a two-run single in the seventh.
Up next
Red Sox: Following a day off today, RHP Steven Wright (1-0) will make his first start of the year Tuesday against the Tigers. Wright has a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings spanning six relief appearances.
Baltimore — The game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles on Sunday was postponed because of the threat of all-day rain, leaving both teams with yet another doubleheader down the road.
It was the second rainout during the scheduled fourgame series. In addition, the start of Saturday's game was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 44 minutes.
The rainout Sunday will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Aug. 25. Baltimore and New York also will play a doubleheader at Camden Yards on July 9 as a result of Thursday's postponement.
New York has had seven games either postponed or suspended by rain this season.
Manager Aaron Boone shrugged his shoulders, conceding that the team just had to make the best of a wasted Sunday.
"I think we handle it pretty well," he said. "You just have to try and appreciate a little bit of the day off now. Recharge the battery a little bit. Stay off the legs, knowing we have a doubleheader (Monday)."
Two today
Those two games in Detroit today came about because New York and the Tigers had a game postponed on April 14, then again on April 15.