Pedroia, Red Sox Put On Laser Show
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Red Sox had a home run derby of their own Thursday night at Fenway, sending six of their 13 hits against the Orioles out of the yard.
Or as Dustin Pedroia would put it; a laser show.
"We swung the bats great," said the Red Sox second baseman, whose three-run homer in the third inning put Boston on top 3-2 at the time. "We just got to keep it going. There was a lot of good pitches to hit tonight and we didn't miss them. That was the thing; we were patient. We got into hitters counts. We did a good job."
Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all hit a long ball Thursday night. Ortiz, Reddick and Saltalamacchia went back-to-back-to-back in the seventh, the first time the Sox have pulled off the feat since August of 2010.
"Our guys did a great job. We scored and we added on," said manager Terry Francona after the 10-4 win. "Pedey with a big hit early to get us back in it. They kept fighting and getting big hits the rest of the way."
Dustin Pedroia After Boston's 10-4 Win
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"When Pedroia hits that home run, from there and when I came out of the game, the offense took off. You certainly appreciate that as a pitcher," said starter Andrew Miller, who allowed three runs over five innings of work.
Read: Man Throws Out Fenway First Pitch With Feet
The six home runs were the most hit by the Red Sox since September of 2009, which also came against the Orioles.
The debate now rages on, which long ball was the best?
"I'll take them all," said Ellsbury, who blasted his 11th of the season. "We had a variety; one monster ball, two to dead center, two to right. They were all good swings; you can't go wrong with any one of them."
"Pedey's," said Gonzalez, who hit his 17th. "That one just because of the situation of putting us ahead. It put us ahead and we didn't look back after that."
After Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta walked the first two batters of the third, Pedroia took a high fastball and deposited over the monster seats into the parking garage on Landsdowne Street. The Sox went from trailing 2-0 to have a 3-2 lead.
Still, Pedroia would not say his blast was the best.
"I don't know we put some good swings. You guys can figure that one out," he said after the game.
