Tigers Routed By Ortiz's 2 HRs, Career-High 7 RBIs
KEN POWTAK, Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Detroit manager Brad Ausmus didn't hide his frustration after the Tigers' latest loss.
"I mean there's really not much to say," he said after David Ortiz homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to an 11-1 victory over the Tigers on Sunday night.
"They hit. We didn't pitch, we didn't hit," Ausmus said. "That's usually a recipe for a loss."
And it's something the Tigers have been doing frequently since the All-Star break.
Nick Castellanos hit a solo homer for the second straight day for the struggling Tigers, who have lost six of nine.
Shane Greene (4-8) didn't make it out of the fifth inning for the third straight start since being recalled from Triple-A Toledo. He gave up five runs — four in the fifth — and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings.
"He showed signs of being that guy, downhill sinker, slider. He kept the ball below the thigh," Ausmus said. "He was looking really good for a little over three innings, and then it just ..."
Boston chased Greene with a four-run fifth — highlighted by Ortiz's first three-run homer of the night.
"Nothing changed," Greene said. "I made a mistake to one of the best left-handed hitters in the game and I paid for it."
Ausmus didn't think it's a trend, but didn't know why.
"For whatever reason the pitches start coming up," he said.
Ortiz, who aslo had an RBI single, and Xander Bogaerts each had four of the season-high 20 hits by the Red Sox.
Boston won for just the second time 11 games — with both victories coming in this series.
Eduardo Rodriguez (6-3) rebounded from a miserable start by pitching seven strong innings.
Ortiz's first homer cleared Detroit's bullpen, sailing into the right-field bleachers to snap a 1-all tie in the fifth. He had an RBI single an inning later and belted his second homer — the 485th of his career — into the Green Monster seats in the seventh, taking a curtain call from the crowd when he got to the dugout.
Rodriguez allowed one run on three hits, striking out six and walking one. He gave up seven runs in just 1 2/3 innings in his previous start Monday against the Los Angeles Angels.
Mike Napoli chased Greene with a ground-rule, RBI double, making it 5-1.
The Red Sox pushed it to 8-1 in the sixth against reliever Kyle Ryan on RBI singles by Ortiz, Pablo Sandoval and Napoli.
Castellanos homered leading off the fifth, hitting a drive into the center-field seats.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: 1B Miguel Cabrera, on the 15-day DL since July 4 with a strained left calf, ran on an antigravity treadmill before the game. Ausmus said he'll take BP before the team opens a three-game series on the road against Tampa Bay on Monday. ... RHP Alfredo Simon, who left Saturday's win with a slight groin injury, will work on the bike instead of jogging as he gets ready for his next start.
Red Sox: 2B Brock Holt tweaked his left leg rounding first after his first-inning single and stayed in until leaving with the team called "tightness" in the left knee in the sixth.
BAD TOTAL
For the second time this season, the Tigers gave up at least 20 hits. The other time was 21 in a 9-3 loss to Pittsburgh on July 1.
SLIDING
The Tigers (48-50) fell two games under .500 for the second time this season, also 47-49 on Friday.
MONSTER VIEW
The ESPN Sunday Night crew called the game from the Monster seats, and Ortiz's second homer sailed a few feet from their spot.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez (10-7) is slated to start the opener of a three-game set Monday against Tampa Bay's RHP Nathan Karns (5-5).
Red Sox: RHP Joe Kelley (2-6) is scheduled to make his second start since being recalled from the minors Monday when Boston begins a four-game series at Fenway Park against John Danks (5-8) and the Chicago White Sox.
(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
