Martinez Hits 24th Homer, Red Sox Rout Angels 9-1
BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts homered on John Lamb's first pitch of the game, and J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 24th home run on Tuesday night to back David Price's six strong innings and lead the Boston Red Sox to a 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Betts' homer into the Red Sox bullpen sent right fielder Michael Hermosillo crashing over the wall in pursuit. Slump-busting Jackie Bradley Jr. had four RBIs and three hits, including a home run, and Christian Vazquez also homered to help Boston win for the fourth time in its last five games.
Price (9-5) bounced back from his previous start at Minnesota, a Twins victory on Wednesday that was his first lost since May 3. He allowed five hits in this one, including a solo homer to Chris Young, and two walks while striking out seven to send Los Angeles to its fourth straight loss.
Lamb (0-1) got just five outs. He allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits and a pair of walks. He escaped the first after Betts' 20th homer of the season, but not the second. Lamb was removed after giving up Bradley's two-run double and two more run-scoring hits.
Deck McGuire needed just one pitch to end that inning, but he surrendered solo homers to Bradley in the third and Vazquez in the fifth before Martinez hit one in the sixth that made it 8-1.
Bradley has had back-to-back multi-hit games after producing just five in his previous 68 games this season. He had three hits, all singles, against Seattle on Sunday but still entered the night hitting .189.
Two-time AL MVP Mike Trout, who began the game batting .387 in June, singled in four at-bats while serving as designated hitter to aid his recovery from a sprained right index finger.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Angels: McGuire was checked out by the team athletic trainer after Christian Vazquez lined a ball up the middle in the third inning, but he remained in the game.
Red Sox: Knuckleballer Steven Wright was put on the 10-day DL with left knee inflammation, and RHP reliever Justin Haley was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket.
UP NEXT:
Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (4-5, 3.43 ERA) gets his first start since going seven innings and allowing one earned run on Friday against Toronto. Heaney has pitched at least seven innings in three of his last four starts.
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (9-3, 3.44) has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last five starts, holding the Twins to one hit over seven scoreless innings in his last turn on Thursday.
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