J.D. Martinez on Friday had the big game for the Boston Red Sox, hitting two three-run homers and driving in a career-high seven runs.
Eduardo Rodriguez had the big moment, reaching base on an error and scoring his first career run to go along with his seven strong innings in Boston’s 11-0 win against the San Diego Padres.
Rodriguez got aboard on first baseman Eric Hosmer’s misplay leading off the sixth and advanced on Mookie Betts’ single and Rafael Devers’ groundout.
During a pitching change, he went into the dugout.
“I was going in there to get a drink and tell everybody: ‘I got to third base and I might go to home plate,’” Rodriguez said. “I’m happy right now. I feel good for my start, but I feel good that I finally scored a run.”
Martinez offered a good-natured, withering evaluation of Rodriguez’s approach at the plate.
“It was funny. He’s been talking so much about how he’s going to get a hit, because he feels this road trip he’s going to get a hit, this and that,” Martinez said. “Is he going to throw in Colorado? So he’s got one more day. We’ll see what happens.”
Rodriguez laid down a sacrifice bunt during the three-run second inning, and both runners he advanced went on to score.
“He did his job there,” Martinez said. “But I think that’s about all he can do right now. He’s got a lot of work to do at the plate. He’s working, so we’ll see what happens in Colorado.”
Martinez said that Rodriguez might be one of the worst-hitting pitchers he has seen.
“I mean, he’s bad. I think the catcher was laughing at him at home plate today. That’s what he was saying: ‘You can’t hit, man, not with that swing,’” Martinez said.
Martinez hit a drive to left in the first inning off rookie Chris Paddack (7-7) and again off rookie Eric Yardley with one out in the sixth, this time into the second deck in left. He has a team-high 30 homers.
Martinez also hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
“I’m always just grinding and trying to figure out what adjustment I have to make, how to tweak my swing to get it where I want it to be for that game and that pitcher,” he said.
The Red Sox have beaten the Padres in six of their past seven meetings and lead the overall series 13-6.
Martinez, Betts and Devers each had three hits. Betts doubled in the first in the singled in the sixth and was aboard for both of Martinez’s homers.
Rodriguez (15-5) allowed only five singles and was backed by four double plays, three of them in the first four innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Only one Padres base runner made it as far as second.
Paddack lasted only 2-1/3 innings. He was charged with six runs and seven hits.
“It’s a hard one to swallow. Just got beat tonight. That’s all there is to it,” Paddack said. “That’s a good hitting team over there, defending champs. I knew going into it, you know I wanted to make that stuff personal to me. I studied the hitters top to bottom. I thought I made pitches. Two pitches I would take back is obviously the fastball to Betts and the one to J.D.”
In other results, it was:
‧ Yankees 10, Dodgers 2
‧ Braves 2, Mets 1, 14 innings
‧ Marlins 19, Phillies 11
‧ Mariners 7, Blue Jays 4
‧ Astros 5, Angels 4
‧ Brewers 6, Diamondbacks 1
‧ Nationals 9, Cubs 3
‧ Cardinals 8, Rockies 3
‧ Indians 4, Royals 1
‧ White Sox 8, Rangers 3
‧ Pirates 3, Reds 2
‧ Rays 7, Orioles 1
‧ Tigers 9, Twins 6
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