Fulmer Roughed Up In 10-2 Loss To Red Sox
DAVE HOGG
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — David Ortiz homered and Rick Porcello returned to Comerica Park with seven strong innings as the Boston Red Sox routed the Detroit Tigers 10-2 on Friday night.
Porcello, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Tigers before moving to Boston before the 2015 season, was pitching in Detroit for the first time since the trade.
Porcello (17-3) gave up two runs — one earned — four hits and two walks while striking out eight. His only major mistake was J.D. Martinez's two-run homer in the second inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr. also homered for Boston, while Hanley Ramirez drove in four runs.
The Tigers have lost nine of 12.
Michael Fulmer's Rookie of the Year campaign hit a snag, as the Red Sox got a career-high six runs off him in 5 2/3 innings. Fulmer (10-4) allowed 10 hits, including two homers, and walked one while striking out one.
Ortiz gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the first with his 22nd career homer at Comerica Park — a blast deep into the stands in right field. Ortiz has hit more homers in Detroit than in any other ballpark outside the AL East.
Bradley gave Boston a four-run lead with the second two-run homer of the first inning, but Martinez pulled the Tigers within 4-2 with his two-run shot in the second.
Both pitchers settled down after that, and the score didn't change until the sixth. Fulmer retired the first two hitters, but base hits by Sandy Leon and Brock Holt put runners on first and second. Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia followed with RBI singles to knock Fulmer out of the game.
Hanley Ramirez's two-run double off Bruce Rondon made it 8-2 in the seventh, and he added another two-run double in the eighth off Mark Lowe.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (hamstring) threw in the bullpen Friday and remains on pace to start Sunday's series finale. . RHP Steven Wright (shoulder) is expected to miss at least one more start, but could start throwing off a mound this weekend.
Tigers: RHP Mike Pelfrey (back) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session before the game, and is scheduled to throw another on Sunday. He would then progress to a simulated game before reporting to the minors for rehab games.
MARTINEZ LOCKED IN
J.D. Martinez hit a long home run in his first at-bat, but his second one might have been even more impressive. He hit a line drive to the left side that ripped the webbing out of shortstop Xander Bogaerts' glove on its way to the outfield. Bogaerts had to call time to get a new glove from the Boston dugout.
SPIRIT OF CESPEDES
While Yoenis Cespedes wasn't at Comerica Park on Friday night, he certainly had a major impact on the game. Before the 2015 season, the Tigers traded Porcello to the Red Sox for Cespedes, then shipped him to the Mets at the trading deadline for Fulmer.
Both trades were made by then-Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski, who was back in town Friday in his new role as Red Sox president.
UP NEXT
The teams play the third game in their four-game series Saturday night with Boston's Drew Pomeranz (9-9, 2.99) facing Daniel Norris (1-1, 3.47). Norris is 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in two career outings against Boston, one of which was a start.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.