JD Martinez hit a pair of three run homeruns and knocked in a career high seven runs, and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched seven scoreless innings on Friday night as the Boston Red Sox won the opener of a three game Interleague series over the San Diego Padres by a score of 11-0 at Petco Park in San Diego, California.
Boston (69-61) struck early and often to back a strong start from Rodriguez. Mookie Betts doubled and Rafael Devers singled to start the night to put two runners on quickly in the top of the first. After Xander Bogaerts was retired, JD Martinez hit a three run homer five rows into the left field seats off San Diego starter Chris Paddack to make it 3-0. The Sox doubled the lead in the second with three more runs when Betts hit a sacrifice fly for an RBI, and then Devers and Bogaerts hit run scoring doubles. Paddack only lasted 2 1/3 innings, and Martinez would make it 7-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Bogaerts added another RBI with a single in the sixth inning, and then Martinez lost another one with his second three run homer of the night into the second deck in left for an 11-0 advantage and end the scoring. Rodriguez was backed by some solid Boston defense as the Sox would turn four double plays in the game, three over the first four innings.
Rodriguez (15-5) had a final line of 7.0 innings allowing no runs on five hits, with one walk and six strikeouts. Rodriguez reaches 15 wins for the time in his career. Josh Smith fired two scoreless and hitless innings out of the bullpen. Martinez was the offensive star of the game with three hits, two homers, and seven RBI. Devers also had three hits. Betts, Bogaerts, and Mitch Moreland each added two each part of the 14 hit attack. Manuel Margot had two of the five hits for 59-68 San Diego. Paddack (7-7) allowed six earned on seven hits over his 2.1 innings.
Game two of the series is scheduled for an 8:40 p.m. Eastern Time start on Saturday. Nathan Eovaldi will take to the mound for Boston, while San Diego counters with Dinelson Lamet.
JD Martinez leads off second base in a game earlier this season against Toronto at Fenway Park. Martinez had a career high seven runs driven in on Friday to lead the Red Sox to a 11-0 road win over the San Diego Padres. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner.
