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SPORTS Monday 15 april 2019

Price and Bogaerts carry Red Sox past Orioles 4-0

By KEN POWTAK
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — The big
foursome leading Boston’s
starting rotation had strug-
gled badly this season.
David Price took care of
that with a masterful out-
ing.
Price pitched seven stellar
innings with seven strike-
outs, Xander Bogaerts hit a
three-run homer and drove
in every run, and the Red
Sox beat the Baltimore Ori-
oles 4-0 on Sunday.
Price, Chris Sale, Rick Por-
cello and Nathan Eovaldi
entered Sunday 0-7 with an
8.43 ERA in 11 starts.
With the starters unable
to go deep into games,
the Red Sox bullpen has
pitched a lot of innings.
“Excellent,” Boston man-
ager Alex Cora said of the
performance. “Everybody
knew where were pitching-
wise today, for him to go
seven and give the ball
to those last two guys was
very important for us.” Boston Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts, center, celebrates his three-run home run that also drove in Mookie Betts, left, and J.D. Martinez,
Price (1-1) had easily the right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Boston, Sunday, April 14, 2019.
best outing from that quar- Associated Press
tet this season, mixing his day after ending his record this season. Baltimore pitching coach foot after fouling a pitch off
mid-90s fastball with a 0-for-54 stretch. “I just want that role of be- Doug Brocail, in the third it. He originally had the day
sharp changeup and cut- Ryan Brasier escaped a ing able to do whatever base dugout, was ejected off but was in the lineup
ter to allow just three hits jam in the eighth, and Matt they ask me to do and I by first base umpire Stu when CF Jackie Bradley
without issuing a walk. Barnes worked the ninth, come to the field ready to Scheurwater. It was Bro- Jr. was scratched with the
“I knew the situation,” Price closing out the combined go at all times,” he said. “I cail’s ninth career ejection, flu. Benintendi said after
said. “You’ve got to eat up five-hitter. do like starting. It’s what six coming as a player. that he doesn’t see it “be-
as many innings as possible. Bogaerts hit his shot off re- I’ve always done. So, yeah, TRAINER’S ROOM ing anything super serious.”
I was able to put up zeros liever Josh Lucas into the I’m just very comfortable.” Orioles: Manager Brandon ... Cora inserted Pedroia in
today, so that was big for center field seats in the The 25-year-old lefty wig- Hyde said OF Dwight Smith the DH slot to avoid play-
us.” eighth. gled out of what could Jr.’s right leg was “a little ing him consecutive days
The teams wrap up their John Means (1-2) gave up have been a tough fourth sore.” Smith was scratched at second base. Pedroia
four-game series with Bos- a run and four hits in five when he gave up the run. about an hour before the played just three games
ton’s traditional Patriots’ innings, striking out three Steve Pearce had a lead- game, prompting the shift- last season because of a
Day morning game Mon- and walking one in just his off single and advanced to ing of four spots in the bat- knee injury.q
day, with first pitch set for second big league start. third on J.D. Martinez’s dou- ting order. He flew out to
11:05 a.m. The Red Sox are He made his first career ap- ble. Pearce scored on Bo- center pinch hitting with
scheduled to play on the pearance in Fenway Park gaerts’ fly before Martinez two on, ending the eighth.
holiday for the 60th con- last Sept. 26, allowing five was cut down at the plate “In BP, just his leg, his quad
secutive year. runs over 3 1/3 innings. He’s on Dustin Pedroia’s ground- was a little tight, and I just
Baltimore’s Chris Davis went been bouncing between er. Rafael Devers bounced thought it was the right
0 for 4 with two strikeouts a the rotation and bullpen out to end the inning. thing to do to give him a
breather, and he’ll be back
in there tomorrow,” Hyde
said.
Red Sox: LF Andrew Benin-
tendi left with a bruised right