Porcello, Red Sox Beat Tigers 10-2
DETROIT -- David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr. ambushed rookie Michael Fulmer with a pair of two-run home runs in the first inning Friday night, Hanley Ramirez added a late pair of two-run doubles and Rick Porcello tamed his former team on four hits over seven innings to make his 17th win a 10-2 Boston Red Sox victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Porcello (17-3) became the second pitcher in the majors with 17 wins by quieting the Tigers, who traded him to the Red Sox following the 2014 season. He struck out eight and walked two and one of the two runs he gave up was unearned.
Heath Hembree pitched the eighth and Fernando Abad the ninth for Boston.
Fulmer (10-4) settled in after allowing the pair of two-run home runs and retired nine in a row until allowing hits in the fourth and fifth.
Ramirez doubled home two runs off reliever Bruce Rondon in the seventh and again off Mark Lowe in the eighth to give Boston a 10-2 margin. The Red Sox pounded out 16 hits.
Rookie Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia smacked RBI singles in the sixth as the Red Sox upped their lead to 6-2 and chased Fulmer with four straight two-out singles.
J.D. Martinez hit his 17th home run of the season to cut the Red Sox lead in half 4-2 in the second. Victor Martinez reached on a throwing error by Pedroia leading off and Martinez hit an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right center.
Ortiz got a 96 mph fastball down in the strike zone and crushed the 2-2 pitch to right for his 28th home run, which followed a one-out single to left by Xander Bogaerts.
Bradley Jr. clocked a hanging 3-2 slider to right center for his 21st home run of the season after Ramirez singled with two out in the first.
NOTES: Boston manager John Farrell said Friday, "I think the game is ready" for a 20-second pitch clock. ... Detroit CF Cameron Maybin took 30 swings off a tee Thursday. "Best case scenario," manager Brad Ausmus said of his return, "maybe when we get back from Minnesota (next Friday)." He hasn't played since Aug. 3. ... Red Sox RHP Eduardo Rodriguez "had a normal 35-pitch pen with normal intensity (Friday) and he's on track to" start Sunday, according to Farrell. ... The Tigers are off Monday but rookie RHP Michael Fulmer will get moved back more than just one day before making his next start. "We have it plotted out probably through the next week and a half. To the next off day," Ausmus said.
