Eduardo Rodriguez had another solid start on the mound Sunday afternoon, picking up a win and going 6.0 innings as the Boston Red Sox got all they needed in the first inning as they swept the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 at Fenway Park.
Baltimore (38-78) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Anthony Santander singled, and then Austin Hays scored on a throwing error by left fielder JD Martinez when the ball couldn’t be handled by Rafael Devers. Martinez did make up for it in a big way in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs and noone on, Xander Bogaerts would single and Devers walked. Martinez then took a 2-1 pitch and hit a screaming line drive three-run homerun off the National Car Rental sign above the green monster in left field for the game winner. Boston (69-51) added on in the sixth when Kike Hernandez singled in a run, Hunter Renfroe walked with the bases loaded, and Bogaerts on a fielders choice brought in another run to make it 6-1. The Orioles brought in their other run on a RBI infield single by Jorge Mateo. The Sox outscored their opponent 30-5 in the three game sweep.
Rodriguez (9-6) allowed one run (none earned) on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Hernandez had two hits, as did Kyle Schwarber with a pair of doubles his first two hits with the team since his acquisition from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline. Mateo had two hits for Baltimore, and Keegan Akin (0-7) allowed three runs on six hits in 4.0 innings to take the loss on the mound. The Red Sox have Monday off before opening up a three game series in New York against the Yankees, starting with a day/night doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 1 p.m.
