G117: Red Sox 19, Orioles 12

Red Sox  - 300 206 350 - 19 16  1
Orioles  - 044 002 011 - 12 17  0

After Xander Bogaerts gave the Red Sox a quick 3-0 lead with his 17th home run of the season, Nathan Eovaldi's (2.2-10-8-2-0, 71) streak of shutout innings in a Boston uniform abruptly came to an end at 16, when the lowly Orioles scored four runs in each of the second and third innings. (In both innings, Baltimore's #6-#9 batters scored the runs.)

Were you worried? You should not have been. (WEEI had it right, above.) The Red Sox outscored Baltimore 16-2 over the next 5.5 innings, an offense explosion that seemed like an equal partnership of awesome hitting by the Red Sox and inept pitching from the Orioles.

When Boston scored six runs in the sixth, they sent 11 batters to the plate and had only three hits, two of which were singles (and two of which were by Brock Holt). Orioles relievers walked five men in the inning, two with the bases loaded. There was a seven-batter stretch in which the Red Sox had only one official at-bat: BB, BB, 3-2, SAC, BBI, BB, BB)!

The Red Sox also batted around in the eighth, scoring five times on three hits. Baltimore contributed only two walks and a hit batter that time.

In the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, Boston sent 26 men to the plate; 19 reached base, and 14 scored.

Drew Pomeranz got credit for the win, pitching out of the bullpen for the first time since the game of the 2016 season. He walked one batter in a scoreless fifth inning.

The Red Sox have won 26 of their last 31 games.

Going down the lineup:

Mookie Betts - Single, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI (.352 average leads AL)

Andrew Benintendi - Home run, walk, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI

Mitch Moreland - Single, double, run scored, RBI

J.D. Martinez - Single, double, BBI, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI* (.332 average is #2 in AL)

Xander Bogaerts - Home run, 2 walks, 2 runs scored, 4 RBI

Brock Holt - Home run, 2 singles, 2 walks, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI

Jackie Bradley - Triple, double, single, 4 runs scored, RBI

*: Martinez has driven in 101 runs, with 45 games remaining on the schedule.

In the last 38 years (since 1980), this is only the eighth regular season game (and ninth game overall) in which the Red Sox have scored 19 or more runs:

August 21, 1986    - Red Sox 24, Cleveland 5
April 12, 1994     - Red Sox 22, Royals 11
July 23, 2002 (G1) - Red Sox 22, Devil Rays 4
June 27, 2003      - Red Sox 25, Marlins 8
August 12, 2008    - Red Sox 19, Rangers 17
September 4, 2013  - Red Sox 20, Tigers 4
August 15, 2015    - Red Sox 22, Mariners 10

And:

October 10, 1999   - Red Sox 23, Cleveland 7 (ALDS 4)

On the Orioles' side, Cedric Mullins made his major league debut. He batted ninth and played center field. In his first two at-bats, he hit a double and a single (on his first two big league swings). He knocked in a run with each hit and he later scored. He also walked in the fifth and doubled and scored in the ninth.

The Rangers beat the Yankees 12-7 - Ronald Guzman became the first rookie to hit three home runs in a game against the MFY - so the Red Sox's division lead is back to 9.0 games. (Guzman is also the first player in history to homer in each of his first four games against the Yankees.)

Nathan Eovaldi / Dylan Bundy

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Moreland, 1B
Martinez, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Holt, 2B
Butler, C
Bradley, CF

Nathan Eovaldi has pitched 15 shutout innings since joining the Red Sox.

Not Unexpected: Drew Pomeranz has been demoted to the bullpen. Brian Johnson will remain in the rotation.