Mookie Betts is making a habit out of three-home run games after leading the Boston Red Sox to a crushing 16-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball on Sunday. If the offense gets back its early swagger (4.8 runs per game post all-star break, down from 5.6 prior) and the pitchers ratchet it up one more notch, it promises to be a fun October for the Boston Red Sox.
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Steven Matz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning as the New York Mets beat the San Diego Padres, while Ryan Braun hit two home runs and collected six RBIs to power a 7-3 Milwaukee Brewers win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Mookie Betts of the Red Sox rounds third with one of his three home runs on Sunday.
Nevertheless, Betts joined Williams in the Red Sox’s multi-game three-homer club. Betts recently moved him from leadoff to the three-spot, and in 18 at-bats he hit.389 (7-for-18) with three homers, 10 RBIs and two doubles.
In the last of a three-game series between the Boston Red Sox (63-52) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (48-68) at Fenway Park, Rick Porcello (15-3, 3.40 ERA) and Zack Greinke (11-3, 3.67 ERA) get the ball.
“It makes you feel pretty good”, Betts said.
It was the second-most he’s allowed in his career.
The Red Sox dropped two pitchers and a hitter, but brought up one pitcher and two hitters because they’re looking to stabilize their bench again – especially with another long road trip (11 games in 11 days in four different cities) on tap. Harper had missed five straight games with a neck injury. Rodriguez had a three-run homer and Jordy Mercer a two-run shot in the first.
Blue Jays 9, Astros 2: Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin hit back-to-back home runs, and Marcus Stroman pitched 6-plus innings for Toronto.
“Well, they just hit everything he threw up there”, Arizona manager Chip Hale said.
Boston’s second inning began with four straight hits, including Andrew Benintendi’s RBI double.
Batting third in the Boston lineup, he made it 2-0 in the first inning when he drove a pitch out to left field.
He homered into the first row of the Monster seats in the second inning against Greinke, then clocked a 356-foot shot that hooked inside the foul pole atop the Monster and was estimated at 382 feet.
It was all the run support needed for David Price (10-8), who struck out eight in eight innings to pick up the win.
“It just happened so fast I didn’t realize how bad it actually was”, Grenkie said after giving up his most runs since 2005. Braun had a two-run double in the first inning, a three-run homer in the second and his 22nd home run in the fourth.
Diamondbacks: C Welington Castillo is due back Monday from bereavement leave.
Big Papi smiled and replied: “You want to learn how to hit home runs every time?”
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Overall, Porcello is 16-3 with a 3.30 ERA on the season and could be entering the Cy Young Award discussion. Matt Wieters tripled and had a career-best five hits for the Orioles. RHP Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.18) goes for the Indians.
