J.D. Martinez's 3-Home Run Day Adds To Ridiculous Start To Season
BOSTON (CBS) -- J.D. Martinez had to miss Saturday's game due to some cold-like symptoms, briefly spending time on the COVID-19 injured list to undergo testing. That brief hiccup did absolutely nothing in slowing down his historically ridiculous start to the season.
Martinez struck out in his first at-bat on Sunday, perhaps his only sign of any rust from the day off.
In the third inning, he homered down the right field line to give Boston a 4-0 lead. In the fifth, he delivered an RBI single to make it 5-1. In the sixth, another solo homer to give the Red Sox a 9-1 advantage. And in the eighth, Martinez went deep again, this time to the pull side of center field.
He failed to make it a four-homer day when he struck out in the ninth inning of a 14-7 game, but the damage had clearly been done. Martinez was 4-for-6 with three home runs and four RBIs. Combined with Rafael Devers' day -- 2-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs -- it allowed the Red Sox to turn in a season-high for runs scored.
#RedSox DH J.D. Martinez struck out in his first at-bat Sunday in Baltimore, but then proceeded to go:
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) April 11, 2021
HR
RBI single
HR
HR
He talked about his day after the Sox 14-9 win, their 6th in a row. @wbz #wbz pic.twitter.com/yP2uI0FhfO
For Martinez specifically, Sunday's three-homer performance was merely a continuation of an utterly absurd start to the season at the plate.
J.D. Martinez, 2021 season (MLB Rank)
Batting Average: .472 (third)
Slugging Percentage: 1.083 (second)
OPS: 1.583 (second)
Doubles; 7 (first)
Home Runs: 5 (tied for first)
RBI: 16 (first)
Through eight games and 38 plate appearances, Martinez has started to leave his mark on some historical lists. Which one is most impressive is a matter of preference.
J.D. Martinez of the @RedSox already has 12 extra-base hits in 8 games this season.
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) April 11, 2021
That is the most XBH by any player in his first 8 games of the season in American League history.
J.D. Martinez of the @RedSox has an extra-base hit in all 8 games this season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 11, 2021
That ties Alex Rodríguez (2007) and Sandy Alomar (1997) for the longest streak to begin a season since 1900. pic.twitter.com/c9w2A4N0Zv
J.D. Martinez has an extra-base hit in 9 straight games dating back to 2020, tying the Red Sox record.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) April 11, 2021
Red Sox with an XBH in 9 straight games:
J.D. Martinez (2020-21)
David Ortiz (2014 & 2013)
Bill Mueller (2003)
Butch Hobson (1977)
Ted Williams (1939)
Most total bases through a player's first 8 games of a Red Sox season:
— Adam Darowski (@baseballtwit) April 11, 2021
39 J.D. Martinez 2021
32 Carlton Fisk 1973
30 Sam Horn 1987
29 Jose Offerman 1999
28 Eduardo Núñez 2017
28 Fred Lynn 1979
Well, that's certainly a list.
J.D. Martinez becomes the 5th player ever with a 3-HR game with 3 different teams, joining Johnny Mize, Dave Kingman, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 11, 2021
This is the 34th instance of a Red Sox player hitting 3 HR in a game. J.D. Martinez is the 25th player to accomplish the feat for Boston.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) April 11, 2021
This is the 4th game in which one Red Sox player hit 3 HR and another hit 2 HR:
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) April 11, 2021
4/11/2021: Martinez (3) & Devers (2)
7/23/2002-G1: Garciaparra (3) & Ramirez (2)
7/24/1999: Nixon (3) & Garciaparra (2)
6/8/1950: Doerr (3) & Williams (2) & Dropo (2)
While this is all welcome news to the Red Sox after Martinez's down year in 2020, the most significant part for the team is that the offensive dominance has led to victories. With Sunday's win, the Red Sox have now swept back-to-back series to get to 6-3 on the season. After a shocking start to the season, they're now tied for the best record in the AL, and they sit alone atop the AL East.
The Red Sox own MLB's longest active winning streak (6 games), during which they are averaging 8.83 runs per game, batting .332, and slugging .574 (78-for-235, 12 HR, 21 2B). They scored 6+ runs on 10+ hits in each of those games.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) April 11, 2021
That's obviously required more than just Martinez's bat, but his presence in the three-hole has been a sight to behold through the season's first three series.
Interestingly enough, Martinez and the Red Sox will now get four games to see Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, who ranks ahead of Martinez in batting average (.481) and OPS (1.734) thus far on the year. Given the way the season has begun, it seems safe to assume that some offensive fireworks are in store.