BOSTON --- With all due respect to late NFL coach Dennis Greene, perhaps the Red Sox are who we thought they were after all.
Boston has quietly won five of its last seven games after a dreadful start to its latest World Series title defense. The starting rotation is slowly rounding into form, with Rick Porcello delivering his second straight effective outing. The offense pounded out a pair of season highs with six doubles and seven extra-base hits, grinding the Tigers into [...]
BOSTON --- With all due respect to late NFL coach Dennis Greene, perhaps the Red Sox are who we thought they were after all.
Boston has quietly won five of its last seven games after a dreadful start to its latest World Series title defense. The starting rotation is slowly rounding into form, with Rick Porcello delivering his second straight effective outing. The offense pounded out a pair of season highs with six doubles and seven extra-base hits, grinding the Tigers into submission.
Detroit was in prime position to win the four-game series after a day-night doubleheader sweep on Tuesday. The Red Sox restored order over the next two evenings, including Thursday’s 7-3 victory at Fenway Park.
Porcello notched his first quality start of the season over six innings, Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts extended what look to be the start of individual hot streaks and Michael Chavis drilled the second home run of his young career. Boston started its reversal of fortunes in a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay last weekend and welcomes the Rays to town beginning on Friday night.
Porcello was blasted for 14 earned runs in just 11 1/3 innings through his first three starts. He’s turned the tables over his last two, surrendering five earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five against two walks and induced 14 swings-and-misses on his 91 pitches.
Porcello’s lone rough patch came in the third. Each of Detroit’s first three hitters reached base and scored, as JaCoby Jones doubled to deep center and Jeimer Candelario lined an RBI single to right. Nicholas Castellanos sliced a two-run homer off the Pesky Pole, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
The Red Sox offense did all the scoring before and after that brief Detroit outburst. Chavis started the parade in the second when he picked on a slider from Jordan Zimmermann out over the plate, launching a liner over the Green Monster for a two-run homer. He’s just the sixth Boston player in the last 50 years to go deep twice in his first six career games, joining the likes of Mo Vaughn (1991) and Rafael Devers (2017).
J.D. Martinez hooked an RBI single through the left side and Devers found the wall in left with a two-run double in the third. The Red Sox answered Detroit’s three runs with three of their own, and it was a 5-3 game. Boston never trailed again, as the Tigers managed just a pair of singles the rest of the way.
Benintendi doubled twice to help account for each of the final two Red Sox runs. His two-out liner off the Monster in the fourth was followed by a Betts double to right center, making it 6-3. Benintendi picked up the RBI himself in the sixth when he peppered the wall again with one out, chasing in Sandy Leon.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25