April 8, 2021

Eduardo Rodriguez Returns To The Mound, Faces Orioles On 587 Days Rest

Eduardo Rodriguez celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday and this afternoon, he returns to the mound for his first start in 587 days, facing the first-place Orioles in Baltimore. COVID-19 and myocarditis prevented Rodriguez from pitching last season.

Tanner Houck was optioned to the team's training site to make room in the roster.

Red Sox pitchers have allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of their six games. Boston is also the only team to have not allowed a home run this season (57 innings, 245 batters). The Red Sox are the third team since 2000 to allow no homers in the first six games of a season (2002 Giants, 2015 Tigers). The  1964 Red Sox started the season by not getting donged for seven games, the team's longest streak in the last 75 seasons.

I thought our pitching was supposed to suck.

After a forgettable 2020, J.D. Martinez is raking. He's batting .440 (11-for-25) and leads MLB with eight extra-base hits, which also ties the Red Sox record for most extra-base hits in the team's first six games (also Billy Werber in 1934 and Jose Offerman in 1999).

JDM also leads the AL in doubles (6), slugging (.920), and total bases (23). Since joining the Red Sox in 2018, Martinez leads the AL in total bases (783) and is tied for the MLB lead with 283 RBI.

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