G7: Red Sox 8, Orioles 1

Orioles - 000 000 100 - 1  5  2
Red Sox - 010 010 33x - 8 15  0

Extremely sloppy infield play from the Orioles in the seventh and eighth innings helped the Red Sox pile on the runs as Drew Pomeranz (6-4-1-1-6, 91) made a good impression in his 2017 debut. Dustin Pedroia drove in four runs, Christian Vazquez went 4-for-4, and Chris Young scored three times. The Red Sox (4-3) moved to with one-half game of first place in the AL East.

Batting for the first time since last Wednesday, Hanley Ramirez drew a walk to open the second inning. He went to third on Mitch Moreland's sixth double of the season and scored on Pablo Sandoval sacrifice fly to left. With one out in the fifth, Young singled, Vazquez doubled high off the Wall and Pedroia made it 2-0 with a sac fly to center.

Baltimore scored a run in the seventh, but the Red Sox immediately pulled away in the bottom half. Starter Dylan Bundy (6.1-7-3-2-3, 106) was pulled after a one-out walk to Sandoval. Facing Darren O'Day, Young grounded to shortstop. The play looked like a textbook (inning-ending) double play, but J.J. Hardy booted the ball twice, not even recording a force. Vazquez then popped a pitch into short right-center. Two outfielders came in, but second baseman Jonathan Schoop called for it - but the ball dropped unmolested - and the bases were loaded.

Pedroia hit a ground ball up the middle. Hardy dove to his left behind the bag, but the ball glanced off his glove. Two runs scored. Andrew Benintendi lined a single to right, scoring Vazquez. Craig Gentry's throw to the infield was wild and Benintendi was able to advance to second on the throwing error. Mookie Betts grounded to shortstop; the infield was playing in and Hardy ran over and tagged out Pedroia between third and home but the runners were able to advance to second and third. Ramirez flied to left to end the frame.

Boston scored three more times in the eighth off Oliver Drake. Xander Bogaerts walked with one out and Young singled with two down. Vazquez lofted a fly ball towards the right field corner. New right fielder Seth "Ender Of The 2007 WS" Smith tried making a sliding catch, but the ball ticked off his glove and rolled far away. Both runners scored and Vazquez had a triple. Pedroia reached on an infield single to Schoop (the second baseman couldn't make a bare-handed grab of FY's ground ball) and Boston led 8-1. Benintendi and Betts both singled to load the bases, but Ramirez ended this inning as well, with a soft liner to second.

NESN Note: In the top of the first, Dave O'Brien mentioned that Orioles manager Buck Showalter is still being asked to explain his refusal to use ace closer Zack Britton (0.54 ERA in 67 innings) during last season's Wild Card Game loss to Toronto. Both O'Brien and Dennis Eckersley agreed that Showalter still had no credible explanation for his non-move. And then both men reminded us that Showalter is one of the game's best managers and is excellent at managing a bullpen. ... Yeah, it might be time to finally retire that old canard. Showalter proved last fall that he is clearly not among the game's best thinkers. When a manager falls to make a move that is painfully obvious to millions of baseball fans around the world, a move that a mediocre skipper would call for in his sleep, well, that manager is a certified bonehead. ... And what's with Eck referring to Baltimore outfielder Trey Mancini as "Man-chee-nee"?

Dylan Bundy / Drew Pomeranz

Pedroia, 2B
Benintendi, CF
Betts, RF
Ramirez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Sandoval, 3B
Young, LF
Vazquez, C

Roster: Jackie Bradley to the DL, Pomeranz off the DL, Bogaerts off the bereavement list, Deven Marrero to Pawtucket.

The Red Sox (3-3) return to Fenway Park for a seven-game homestand, with two games against the first place Orioles (4-1) tonight and Wednesday and (after the makeup of April 6's rainout against the Pirates on Thursday) four against the Rays (including Monday's Patriots Day game at 11 AM).

Then it's back on the road to Toronto and Baltimore before a long homestand hosting the Yankees, the defending World Champion Cubs, and the Orioles that will take the team into May.