J.D. Martinez Launches 18th Homer, Red Sox Sweep Blue Jays With 6-4 Win
BOSTON (CBS) -- J.D. Martinez continues to destroy baseballs for the Boston Red Sox.
Martinez launched another monster dinger that sailed 434 feet over the Green Monster on Wednesday, a two-run blast to give Boston a 4-2 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning. The Red Sox completed their three-game sweep of Toronto with a 6-4 victory at Fenway Park.
The homer was Martinez's 13th in the month of May and his 18th of the season, tying him with Los Angeles' Mike Trout for the most in baseball.
Eduardo Nunez also homered in the fifth inning and drove in another run with an RBI double in the eighth.
Eduardo Rodriguez pitched a gem for Boston, striking out seven Jays over his 6.2 innings of work. He didn't allow a base runner until the fifth inning, and his only blemish on the afternoon was a two-run homer to Teoscar Hernandez in the top of the sixth. Rodriguez improved to 6-1 on the season with the win.
Things got tight in the ninth inning as reliever Brian Johnson allowed the first two Jays batters to reach. Boston closer Craig Kimbrel came and loaded the bases with a walk, and Toronto plated a pair of runs on a Kendrys Morales double to make it 6-4. Kimbrel got Devon Travis to harmlessly ground out to third for the first out, struck out Curtis Granderson and then finished the Jays off with a Luke Maile to ground out to second to pick up his 18th save of the season.
The Red Sox have now won nine of their last 11 games and improved to an MLB-best 39-17 with Wednesday's victory. They now head to Houston for a four-game set with the Astros beginning Thursday night.
