J.D. Martinez, Kevin Pillar Shine as Red Sox Crush Orioles 13-2

Looking to rebound after a disappointing 2019, the Boston Red Sox are off to a strong start with a 13-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on Friday. 

After feeling their way through the first two innings, the Red Sox broke through against Orioles starter Tommy Milone with four runs in the third to open the floodgates. That was more than enough support for Nathan Eovaldi in his first career Opening Day start. 

The American League East is always one of the most competitive divisions in Major League Baseball. This year promises to be no different, so for the Red Sox to compete with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, these are the kinds of games they have to win. 

Notable Player Stats

Nathan Eovaldi (BOS): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

J.D. Martinez (BOS): 3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R

Kevin Pillar (BOS): 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R

Tommy Milone (BAL): 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Rio Ruiz (BAL): 1-3, Solo HR

Eovaldi's Strong Start Gives Red Sox Signs of Hope

Relying on Eovaldi as a significant rotation piece has gotten a lot of teams in trouble before, including the Red Sox last year. They signed the right-hander to a four-year, $68 million extension after he played a huge role in their run to the 2018 World Series. 

Things never came together for Eovaldi in 2019, as he bounced between the rotation and bullpen. The 30-year-old made just 23 appearances and posted a 5.99 ERA with 72 hits and 16 homers allowed in 67.2 innings. 

While Friday was just one start against an Orioles team that doesn't pack a lot of offensive punch, Eovaldi did give Boston a glimpse of what he can do if things come together:

Eovaldi's presence in Boston's rotation is especially important with Chris Sale out for the year after having Tommy John surgery in March. There's also uncertainty around Eduardo Rodriguez's return after the team announced he had been shut down due to minor symptoms related to his coronavirus diagnosis. 

Martin Perez and Ryan Weber are the only other starters aside from Eovaldi currently listed on Boston's official depth chart. 

The Red Sox need Eovaldi to be an effective starter while their offense does most of the work for the team in 2020. 

Red Sox Offense Still Dangerous without Mookie Betts

Friday marked Boston's first official game since Mookie Betts was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February. 

Even though none of the three players the Red Sox received in return—Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, Connor Wong—played, this win served as a reminder that their offense is still capable of doing serious damage. 

Their 13 runs came on 17 hits, including eight doubles, and seven walks against four Orioles pitchers. Jose Peraza led the Red Sox with four hits from the No. 9 hole, while J.D. Martinez and Kevin Pillar each drove in a team-high three runs.    

The Red Sox lineup even without Betts still includes Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi. That group can rack up a lot of hits in a short amount of time, putting pressure on opposing pitchers. 

With the New York Yankees adding Gerrit Cole to their starting rotation (in addition to boasting arguably the deepest bullpen in MLB) and the Rays loaded with pitching, having a strong lineup is essential if the Red Sox want to be a serious playoff threat. 

What's Next?

The Orioles and Red Sox will play the second game of their series at Fenway Park on Saturday at 1:35 p.m. ET.