Betts Hits 3 Home Runs, Red Sox Beat Orioles 6-2
BALTIMORE -- Mookie Betts homered three times and drove in five runs to back the pitching of Eduardo Rodriguez, and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 Tuesday night for their third consecutive win.
It was Betts' first career three-homer game, and his five RBIs were also a personal best as Boston increased its American League East lead to three games.
Betts became the first Red Sox leadoff hitter to homer three times in a game in at least 100 years.
Betts and Dustin Pedroia hit back-to-back homers to start the game against Kevin Gausman (0-3).
The Boston right fielder then lined a three-run homer in the second inning, and a launched a second solo shot -- this time off reliever Dylan Bundy -- in the seventh.
Betts, who has 12 home runs and 40 RBIs, lined out in the fourth and grounded out in the ninth. He also made a diving catch in shallow right.
Rodriguez (1-0) was making his season debut after dislocating his right kneecap during spring training. He was solid, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. Rodriguez, 23, struck out three without a walk.
Boston's Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 24 games with a seventh-inning single.
The Red Sox were minus outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who was placed on paternity leave prior to the game.
Rodriguez was aided by center fielder Chris Young, who robbed Manny Machado of a potential two-run homer with a leaping catch at the wall to end the third inning.
Machado and Adam Jones had two hits apiece for Baltimore.
Gausman went six innings, allowing five runs on five hits, but he retired 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced. He tied a career-high with 113 pitches while striking out eight and walking two.
Betts sent Gausman's second pitch of the night over the wall in center for his fourth career leadoff home run.
Pedroia then homered to left center on a 1-1 pitch and Boston led 2-0 after five Gausman offerings. It was Pedroia's seventh home run of the season.
In the second, Gausman walked No. 9 hitter Christian Vasquez to put runners on first and second with two outs and Betts lined a 2-0 fastball just inside the left field foul pole to make it 5-0.
Baltimore got to Rodriguez in the third when Joey Rickard led off with a single and scored on a two-out double by Nolan Reimold.
Young limited the damage with his grab to rob Machado.
In the fifth, Baltimore got to within 5-2 when Jones singled home Paul Janish with two outs.
NOTES: The Red Sox have outscored opponents 54-16 in the first inning since April 11. ... Boston placed OF Jackie Bradley Jr. on paternity leave before the game and recalled OF Rusney Castillo from Triple-A Pawtucket. Castillo went 2-for-4 in one game in April for Boston. He is batting .241 with one home run and 13 RBIs for Pawtucket. ... The Orioles placed C Caleb Joseph (testicular injury) on the 15-day disabled list. Joseph was hit with a foul tip in Monday's game and had a surgical procedure Monday night. ... Baltimore recalled C Francisco Pena from Triple-A Norfolk, where he was hitting .200 in 24 games. ... Boston RHP Joe Kelly (2-0, 6.30 ERA) opposes RHP Mike Wright (2-3, 5.05) on Wednesday night in the third game of the four-game series.
