Martinez Hits 20th Homer, Wright Pitches Red Sox Past Tigers 6-0
BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 20th home run, Steven Wright pitched seven sharp innings in his first start of the season and the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-0 on Tuesday night.
Xander Bogaerts also homered for the Red Sox, who have won six of eight and hold the best record in the majors at 42-19.
Wright (2-0), the knuckleballer who served a 15-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy, allowed only two hits and struck out six with three walks.
Nicholas Castellanos doubled in the first and singled in the third off Wright. Dixon Machado's two-out single in the eighth against reliever Hector Velazquez was the only other hit for the Tigers, who have lost three of four.
Artie Lewicki (0-1) made his first start in the majors and lasted 3 2/3 innings, loading the bases twice in the fourth before getting pulled with Detroit trailing 4-0. He allowed four runs — two earned — on five hits and three walks.
Andrew Benintendi was on second base when Martinez put Boston up 2-0 in the first with a homer off a sign above the Green Monster. Benintendi led off with a single and was initially called out on an attempted steal, but the call was reversed after Boston challenged.
Boston scored two more in the fourth, when Martinez reached on a throwing error by third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who jammed a finger on the play and left the game. Mitch Moreland and Eduardo Nunez followed with back-to-back singles to add another run, and Moreland scored later on a fielder's choice.
Lewicki got Rafael Devers to ground into a double play as Moreland scored, then walked Christian Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr. to load the bases once again before his night ended.
Warwick Saupold came in from the bullpen and retired Benintendi to end the inning, only to run into his own troubles in the fifth when Bogaerts drove his first pitch into Boston's bullpen for his ninth homer.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: Candelario left in the fourth after taking a hard grounder off his right hand before the ball hit his glove. Candelario's throw to first was way off line and he immediately signaled for the trainer before being replaced by Ronny Rodriguez.
Red Sox: Placed LHP Drew Pomeranz on the 10-day disabled list with tendinitis in his left biceps. Boston recalled RHP Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill Pomeranz's roster spot. Workman pitched the ninth.
UP NEXT
Tigers: LHP Blaine Hardy (2-0, 2.77 ERA) has allowed two runs or fewer in four starts this season, winning his last two.
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-1, 3.88) has won his last three starts, holding Toronto to two runs and three hits in 6 2/3 innings last Wednesday to close out May with a 3-1 record.
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