Martinez powers Red Sox past Orioles

J.D. Martinez hits a two-run home run during the fi fth inning Sunday to help the Boston Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in Boston. Martinez also homered in the second inning.
J.D. Martinez hits a two-run home run during the fi fth inning Sunday to help the Boston Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in Boston. Martinez also homered in the second inning.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 0

BOSTON -- J.D. Martinez took plenty of ribbing in the dugout after slicing a short home run inside the Pesky Pole at Fenway Park.

A few innings later, he showed his teammates some serious power.

Martinez hit two vastly different drives for his first multi-home run game with Boston, powering Eduardo Rodriguez and the Red Sox to a rare 13-hit shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

It was the most hits Boston has allowed in a shutout since at least 1908, the team said.

Signed to a $110 million, five-year deal as a free agent in February, Martinez, 30, curled his first home run an estimated 324 feet around the right-field foul pole. He hammered his second -- projected at 443 feet -- to the deepest part of the ballpark, beyond the center-field triangle, for his 15th of the season.

"They were making me laugh," Martinez said, standing in the middle of the clubhouse with a smile on his face. "I said, 'I've got to get even for some of the ones I hit in April when it was cold out and I thought I crushed some and they weren't even going anywhere.' They were definitely teasing me, but I'll take it."

When reminded about the distance of his second one, he said: "I let 'em know."

Martinez drove in three runs, and Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a two-run home run among his three hits as the Red Sox won three of four in the series to improve to 6-1 against Baltimore this season.

Red Sox teammate Mookie Betts is impressed by Martinez's power to the opposite field.

"I don't know if anybody else can do what he does, so that's why he's one of a kind," Betts said. "He can also hit it out of any part of the park, too."

The Orioles got 13 hits but lost for the 15th time in 16 road games and dropped to a major league-worst 4-19 away from Camden Yards. Adam Jones had three of Baltimore's 12 singles.

"It's hard to get 13 hits and not score any runs," Manager Buck Showalter said. "It's frustrating."

Rodriguez (4-1) scattered 9 hits, struck out 7 and didn't walk a batter in 5 2/3 innings.

Leading 1-0 in the fifth, the Red Sox chased David Hess (1-1) and took charge with four runs. Benintendi hit his shot into the Orioles' bullpen after Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled leading off.

Mitch Moreland doubled before Martinez belted his second home run of the day. His first came in the second inning.

Hess gave up 5 runs and 8 hits over 4 2/3 innings in his second major league start.

"They definitely make some adjustments quick and you have to be able to adjust just as quick," he said. "That's a lineup that from top to bottom can do damage."

Martinez and Betts became the first pair of players in Red Sox history with 15 or more home runs in the first 50 games of a season.

The Red Sox improved to 14-1 in series finales.

Red Sox Manager Alex Cora gave first baseman Hanley Ramirez, in a 5-for-26 slump with no extra-base hits in his last six games, the day off Sunday "to work on a few things and keep him off his feet." Cora did the same for shortstop Xander Bogaerts, saying: "I think he only had like one off day since coming back from the DL." Bogaerts was sidelined April 9-27 with an injured left ankle.

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was out of the lineup Sunday because he's been struggling against left-handers, batting only .139 (5 for 36).

Red Sox President Dave Dombrowski played a foul ball Sunday that sailed into his box behind home plate on the bounce, picking it up from a tabletop in front of him. Next to him was former Red Sox right fielder Dwight Evans, who won eight Gold Gloves during his career.

ATHLETICS 9, BLUE JAYS 2 Daniel Mengden allowed two hits over seven shutout innings to win his second consecutive start and lead Oakland over host Toronto to complete a four-game sweep.

WHITE SOX 3, RANGERS 0 Reynaldo Lopez allowed only two hits in a career-high eight innings and Chicago beat visiting Texas for its first home series victory this season.

YANKEES 10, ROYALS 1 Tyler Austin hit a pair of two-run home runs, Sonny Gray pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and New York beat host Kansas City. Miguel Andujar and Austin Romine added back-to-back home runs in the ninth for the Yankees, who have won 14 of their last 15 against the AL Central.

ANGELS 5, RAYS 2 Shohei Ohtani struck out nine while throwing 7 2/3 innings of six-hit ball in his seventh career start, and Los Angeles beat visiting Tampa Bay.

MARINERS 3, TIGERS 2 (11) Mitch Haniger hit a tying two-run home run in the ninth inning and Jean Segura's RBI single in the 11th gave host Seattle a victory over Detroit.

ASTROS 3, INDIANS 1 Lance McCullers allowed one hit over seven innings and Brian McCann hit a two-run home run to lead Houston to a victory over visiting Cleveland.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

METS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Amed Rosario hit his first two home runs of the season, pinch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera connected for a go-ahead drive and New York beat visiting Arizona.

CUBS 6, REDS 1 Yu Darvish recovered from a shaky start to earn his first victory with Chicago, and Kyle Schwarber hit one of the team's three home runs in a victory over host Cincinnati. In his second outing since coming off the disabled list Tuesday, Darvish, a four-time All-Star, overcame a 39-pitch first inning and finished six for the third time this season. He allowed 1 run with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.

DODGERS 7, NATIONALS 2 Kike Hernandez and Yasiel Puig each hit two-run home runs, and visiting Los Angeles beat Washington to complete a three-game sweep.

BRAVES 10, MARLINS 9 Dansby Swanson's two-run single capped a six-run ninth inning, and NL-leading host Atlanta rallied to stun Miami. Ronald Acuna Jr. drove in two runs in the seventh and another in the ninth as the Braves moved 11 games over .500 for the first time since July 5, 2014. Atlanta has won nine of its last 12.

PADRES 8, PIRATES 5 Freddy Galvis drove in the go-ahead run in a four-run ninth inning, and visiting San Diego rallied to beat Pittsburgh.

CARDINALS 5, PHILLIES 1 Jack Flaherty struck out a career-high 13 to earn his first major league victory and Tyler O'Neill homered as host St. Louis beat Philadelphia. Making his ninth big league start, Flaherty (1-1) gave up just 2 hits and walked 1 in 7 2/3 dominant innings. He also singled in the third for his first hit.

GIANTS 9, ROCKIES 5 Brandon Belt snapped a seventh-inning tie with a three-run home run and San Francisco beat visiting Colorado.

INTERLEAGUE

TWINS 3, BREWERS 1 Logan Morrison hit a two-run single to give host Minnesota's offense a much-needed lift, and four relievers worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings for a victory over Milwaukee.

photo

AP/MICHAEL DWYER

Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 5 2/3 innings to help lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Sports on 05/21/2018

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