J.D. Martinez launched a solo home run and drove in three runs, Nathan Eovaldi tossed six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, and the Boston Red Sox beat the host Baltimore Orioles 6-0 on Wednesday night.
Martinez's second-inning homer was his 28th of the season. The designated hitter finished 3 for 4 and added a two-run double -- his 41st of the season -- in the sixth inning. Eovaldi (11-9) allowed just four hits and issued one walk as the Red Sox snapped their four-game losing streak.
Boston (89-69) pulled within one game of New York for the top American League wild-card spot after the Yankees' 6-5 loss at Toronto. The Red Sox maintained their one-half game lead over Seattle (89-70), which defeated Oakland later Wednesday. Toronto (88-70) is one game behind Boson.
Zac Lowther (1-3) allowed two runs, one earned, on eight hits and struck out four in his five-inning start for the Orioles. Baltimore (51-107) had won three of its last five games after a 4-2 victory over Boston in the series opener Tuesday.
Martinez sent a 2-1 pitch from Lowther over the center field wall with one out in the second to put Boston up 1-0. Rafael Devers led off the visiting sixth with a single and Xander Bogaerts reached on an error before Martinez struck again with a double to left.
Baltimore threatened in the home sixth as Cedric Mullins hit a leadoff double and Ryan Mountcastle worked a walk. Eovaldi buckled down and coaxed fly outs from Austin Hays and Pedro Severino sandwiched around a Trey Mancini strikeout to get out of the inning.
Alex Verdugo tacked on a bases-loaded, two-run single to left with two outs in the visiting eighth to put the game out of reach. Hunter Renfroe added a solo blast with two outs in the ninth for his 30th long ball of the season.
Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (9-7, 4.52 ERA) opposes Orioles left-hander Alexander Wells (1-3, 7.61 ERA) in the series finale Thursday.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Baltimore | |
Nathan Eovaldi | Player | Zac Lowther |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 5.0 |
7 | Strikeouts | 4 |
4 | Hits | 8 |
0.00 | ERA | 1.80 |
Boston | Baltimore | |
J.D. Martinez | Player | Kelvin Gutierrez |
3 | Hits | 1 |
3 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
7 | TB | 2 |
.750 | Avg | .333 |