Red Sox ride 6 home runs in rout over Blue Jays
Renfroe, Hernandez combine for 3 home-runs, 7 RBI
Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, Kike Hernandez drove in three runs with two homers and the Boston Red Sox snapped a two-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
Rookie Jarren Duran hit his first major league homer, Dylan Santana and Rafael Devers also went yard, and J.D. Martinez broke out of a slump with four hits as the Red Sox opened the three-game series by improving their AL-leading road record to 29-19.
Manager Alex Cora was pleased with how the Red Sox responded after he shook up the lineup coming off a 2-6 stretch.
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (8-4) allowed four runs on 11 hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Toronto used eight pitchers and had its five-game win streak halted. Blue Jays starters had not allowed a run in the last four games.
The only thing we’d like to talk about right now is this Biggio blast 💣 <a href="https://t.co/4vdBEFYc4S">pic.twitter.com/4vdBEFYc4S</a>
—@BlueJaysThe Red Sox broke loose for eight runs in the first inning, more than the six they scored in a three-game weekend series against the rival New York Yankees. They matched their scoring output from consecutive losses to the Yankees when Duran homered to the opposite field following a leadoff double from Hernandez.
Not long after, Renfroe's sixth career grand slam chased Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling, who gave up six runs on four hits and two walks while getting only one out in his first appearance this season that didn't extend into at least the fourth inning.
The three home runs were the most the Red Sox have hit in a single inning this season, and it was the first time in history the team has homered three times in the first inning of a road game, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Hernandez, who was 1-for-17 over his last five games, homered off Anthony Kay for his second extra-base hit of the first inning. Devers led off the second with his 23rd home run. Santana hit a two-run double that made it 11-0 after two.
Santana slugged one to deep right-centre in the fourth inning and the Red Sox got their sixth home run of the game when Hernandez recorded his sixth multi-homer game and 500th career hit in the sixth inning.
Cavan Biggio homered for the Blue Jays during a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk and Bo Bichette also drove in runs.
