The visiting Boston Red Sox will look for more of the same from their offense Sunday when they try to complete a three-game sweep against the Washington Nationals.
Boston earned a 10-3 win Saturday after breezing to an 11-2 victory on Friday.
The Red Sox scored seven runs in the fifth inning of Friday’s win and seven in the third inning Saturday. They also scored seven runs in the first inning of Monday’s 13-6 victory against Cincinnati.
“We’ve been swinging the bats well since we got home (from a nine-game road trip),” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “I know a lot of people were panicking on the road trip, but that’s part of 162 (games). The guys have done an amazing job preparing to go to battle and they’re executing now.
“You’re going to have stretches that you’re going to hit, and others you’re going to have to pitch to win games. We went through a bad stretch (offensively) a few weeks ago and now we’re in a good one. One thing for sure: We’re going to get healthier.”
Nine of Boston’s 10 runs Saturday came against Washington starter Mitchell Parker, although five of the nine runs were unearned. The Nationals committed three errors that led to six unearned runs.
“We know Mitch is still a very young pitcher,” Washington manager Davey Martinez said. “Again, once things start unraveling, something happens, he’s gotta be able to control the heartbeat and slow things down a little bit. He hasn’t done it.”
It’s the first time the Nationals have allowed seven runs in back-to-back games since July 5-6, 2006.
Boston rookie Roman Anthony has collected at least two hits in five of his last seven games. MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect has been on base six times in the two games against the Nationals.
“Obviously we’ve seen what our offense has done here the last two days and it’s easy as a hitter when you have guys around you constantly putting up good at-bats, finding ways to get on,” Anthony said. “Adding that to my approach, going up there just trying to find a way to move a guy over, get on base and score, I think that’s been the biggest thing and it’s contagious for sure.
“It’s a pretty simple approach that I take up there. Going back to this lineup that we have and seeing this lineup and what we’re capable of doing makes it a lot easier on myself, and when AC (Alex Cora) trusts me and throws me in the two-hole early when maybe the results weren’t there … it’s just that self-confidence of, ‘I belong here. They trust me and let’s just go out here, hand it off to the next guy and help this team win.'”
Washington will be facing Boston ace Garrett Crochet (8-4, 2.34 ERA) on Sunday. The left-hander pitched five scoreless innings to earn the win in his only career appearance against the Nationals last year while with the Chicago White Sox. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out six.
Japanese rookie Shinnosuke Ogasawara will make his major league debut for Washington. In January, the Nationals signed the left-hander, who became the team’s first free agent to sign directly from Asia and its first player from Japan.
Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela left Saturday’s game after falling while rounding second base in the eighth inning, but Cora said the outfielder is OK.
–Field Level Media
