BOSTON -- Mother Nature provided the warm weather, the American flag was draped over the Green Monster for pregame ceremonies, and there were plenty of hot dogs on hand for the Fourth of July at Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox brought the fireworks.
Riding a season-high 21 hits and 13 extra-base hits (nine doubles and four home runs), the Red Sox routed the Texas Rangers 12-5 on Monday for their second big win since a 21-2 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
For the second straight day, every member of the Red Sox’s lineup had a hit, as the offense is back to firing on all cylinders, like it did earlier this season.
“We had a lot of good at-bats all the way up and down the lineup,” manager John Farrell said. “I think this homestand, setting aside the blowout game, we’ve been swinging the bat much better as the calendar has turned.”
From the looks of the top of the first inning, one might have thought the Red Sox were on their way to another blowout loss. Starter Rick Porcello got two outs before he allowed four runs on four consecutive singles to the middle of the Rangers’ order, which drew boos from a crowd that has been far too used to such performances of late.
However, Porcello was able to settle in and put up zeroes in his next five innings, which allowed the Red Sox’s offense to come back against Rangers starter Nick Martinez and build a big lead.
“Obviously, the first inning wasn't pretty again,” Porcello said. “That's the last thing I want to do is go out there and give up four runs. With the guys we have swinging the bats, if we can hold them there, we have a chance, and they did exactly what they've been doing: coming back, picking me up.”
Boston scored a run in the first before putting up four in the third and taking the lead on a Brock Holt two-run home run that just bounced over the wall of the bullpen in right-center field. The bats were at it again in the later innings, as home runs from Travis Shaw and Mookie Betts in the eighth put the game away for good.
David Ortiz had two doubles to break a tie with Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski for 12th on baseball's all-time extra-base hit list, Dustin Pedroia homered in the seventh for his 500th career extra-base hit, and Sandy Leon (a career .187 hitter entering this year) went 4-for-5 to improve his average to .500 in 40 at-bats this season.
Despite all the big performances, Holt stood out the most, largely as a result of Monday marking just his third game since he was activated from a lengthy stint on the disabled list because of a concussion. In those contests, the utility man has five hits and three RBIs, and he contributed on defense Monday with a key throw to the plate to nail Shin-Soo Choo, the tying run at the time, in the fourth inning.
“I don’t know that I’m surprised,” Holt said of his play. “I’m still working through some stuff. I felt good in my rehab games. The next step was coming here, and I felt confident the way I was feeling that I would be able to contribute. It’s worked out.”
Before Monday’s game, Farrell said that he feels his team has “still got a chance to do something special” this year, regardless of the struggles of its pitching. Although that didn’t seem remotely possible just two days ago, Boston is only 2 1/2 games back in the American League East, as the Baltimore Orioles enter their contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday having lost four straight.
With the Red Sox’s offense back to putting up big numbers and the division lead in sight, perhaps something special could happen in Boston after all.
