BOSTON — J.D. Martinez homered twice and just missed hitting a third out of Fenway Park, and the Boston Red Sox routed the slumping Los Angeles Angels 16-4 on Friday night.
Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and Mitch Moreland also homered for Boston, which is desperately trying to climb back into contention for a wild-card berth after an eight-game losing streak. The Red Sox tagged the Angels for 14 hits and won for the third time in four games.
Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer in the first for the Angels, who have lost eight straight. After Pujols’ 18th homer of the season gave Los Angeles a 3-0 lead, the Angels didn’t get another hit until the seventh.
Marcus Walden (7-1) got the win with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after replacing Brian Johnson in the third inning.
Jaime Barria (4-6) lost his third straight start. He pitched five innings, allowing five runs on six hits and struck out three.
Martinez followed his RBI double in the first with a two-run homer off Barria into Boston’s bullpen in the fourth to tie it at 3. Betts broke the tie in the fifth with a two-run shot off Barria and the Red Sox continued to pull away with a five-run sixth.
Martinez started the rally with a double to right over the head of Kole Calhoun at the warning track. Thinking the ball left the park, Martinez slowed into his home run trot and rounded second before realizing his mistake and scampering back, barely avoiding the tag by shortstop Wilfredo Tovar.
Two innings later, Martinez was able to trot the whole way after driving one out to right-center for his 27th homer of the season. He finished 4 for 5 with four RBI.
NOTES: Johnson got the start for LHP David Price, who was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a cyst on his left wrist. Johnson pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.
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