Renfroe hits slam, Red Sox launch 6 HRs, rout Blue Jays 13-4

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, Kiké Hernández drove in three runs with two homers and the Boston Red Sox snapped a two-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

Rookie Jarren Duran hit his first major league homer, Dylan Santana and Rafael Devers also went yard, and J.D. Martinez broke out of a slump with four hits as the Red Sox opened the three-game series by improving their AL-leading road record to 29-19.

Manager Alex Cora was pleased with how the Red Sox responded after he shook up the lineup coming off a 2-6 stretch.

“Where we are at right now, we are not going to surprise people,” Cora said. “We are in first place in the American League East. And we have to show up every single day. Every single day. And we’ve done a great job throughout the season. But there was an it-factor today.”

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (8-4) allowed four runs on 11 hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Toronto used eight pitchers and had its five-game win streak halted. Blue Jays starters had not allowed a run in the last four games.

The Red Sox broke loose for eight runs in the first inning, more than the six they scored in a three-game weekend series against the rival New York Yankees. They matched their scoring output from consecutive losses to the Yankees when Duran homered to the opposite field following a leadoff double from Hernández.

Not long after, Renfroe’s sixth career grand slam chased Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling, who gave up six runs on four hits and two walks while getting only one out in his first appearance this season that didn’t extend into at least the fourth inning.

The three home runs were the most the Red Sox have hit in a single inning this season, and it was the...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Renfroe-hits-slam-Red-Sox-launch-6-HRs-rout-16325622.php