On a surreal day for fans as news came in that Manager John Farrell has cancer, the Red Sox poured on an impressive display of power Friday night at Fenway.
Boston beat Seattle 15-1, belting out 21 hits in the game. It was the Red Sox’ most runs scored since beating the Rockies 15-5 on September 25, 2013 and their most hits in a game since racking up 23 against the Orioles in Baltimore on August 2, 2009. The Red Sox have not had that many hits at Fenway since collecting 23 against the Twins on July 9, 2008.
The 21 Red Sox hits is tied for the 3rd most by any team this season in a 9-inning game. Only the Giants (22) and Nationals (23) have had more hits in a game in 2015.
Oddly enough, Boston now leads all of baseball with the most games of 18 or more hits this season (5).
Nine Red Sox players had multiple hits including all the starters except Xander Bogaerts. Alejandro De Aza, who entered the game after Rusney Castillo fouled a ball off his foot, also collected two hits. It was the first time nine Red Sox have had multiple hits in a game since May 28, 2005 facing the Yankees. No other MLB club this season has had nine players collect multiple hits in a game.
Rookie Travis Shaw collected his 2nd career multi-home run game becoming on the 2nd Red Sox player in the last 100 years with multi-HR games within their first 18 MLB games. The other was George Scott in 1966. Castillo’s first inning home run was the fifth of his career, his third this year, and his first ever to give his club the lead.
Shaw, Pablo Sandoval, and Brock Holt each tallied three RBI Friday. The 3rd RBI for Sandoval marked the 500th of his career.
David Ortiz, who has scored at least one run in six straight games, doubled in the first inning. He is now one extra-base hit from tying Cal Ripkin, Jr. for the 22nd-most in MLB history.
Mookie Betts collected his club-best 7th triple of the season in the 5th inning. Brock Holt also tripled in the 3rd inning. It was the seventh time this season the Red Sox have had 2+ triples in a game, the club’s most such games since also having seven in 1978.
Not to be lost in all the offensive fireworks was Joe Kelly, who allowed four hits and one earned run in 6.0 innings of work, retiring 16 of his final 19 batters faced. Kelly became the first pitcher to allow one run or less in each of his first three starts against the Mariners as a member of the Red Sox.
The Red Sox also flashed some defensive brilliance with excellent plays by Betts in the 3rd inning, and Holt and Jackie Bradley in the 8th inning. Holt’s acrobatic leaping catch in the 8th ended Nelson Cruz‘ impressive 21-game hitting streak. Cruz’ was the longest hitting streak by an American League player this season.