ROLLING AGAIN: The Red Sox defeated the Marlins 15-5 last night, setting a season high in runs scored, and have knocked 7 homers over the 1st 2 games of the current homestand…The Red Sox have won their last 4 games and have taken 6 of their last 7 contests…At 35-33, Boston is 1 win shy of the club’s high-water mark of 3-games above .500 (28-25 after 6/2).
- The Red Sox have won 23 of their last 37 tilts (.622) since 5/11, the 3rd-best record in the Major Leagues in that time.
SWEEP TALK: A win tonight would give Boston its 3rd sweep of the season…The Sox are looking for their 1st sweep of a series of least 3 games at home since 7/22-24/11 vs. SEA (3-0)…With last night’s win, the Red Sox earned their 9th series victory in 13 sets dating back to 5/10…They have lost just 3 series in that time and tied 1.
HOMER TALK: David Ortiz has gone deep in 3 straight games and has 5 roundtrippers in his last 9 tilts…He leads the team with 18 homers this season, 6th most in the AL, and the Red Sox have a 15-2 record when he goes yard…His 396 career long balls are tied with Joe Carter for 52nd on baseball’s all-time list…Ortiz is 4 homers shy of 400 career, a mark only 7 active players have reached.
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who homered last night, has gone deep in each of his last 2 starts and 9 times in his last 29 games…He leads ML catchers 13 homers and tops AL catchers with 25 XBH and a .554 SLG (min. 100 PA)…Sox catchers have combined to hit a ML-high 16 homers and are on pace for 38 long balls this season, which would be the most by any AL team’s backstops since at least 1974.
EQUIPMENT DRIVE: Friday through Sunday, the Red Sox are teaming up with “Kids Gear for Baseball” to collect new and used baseball and softball equipment at all Fenway Park gates as part of the MLB/Baseball Tomorrow Fund equipment drive…Every fan who donates will have the opportunity to win autographed memorabilia and other valuable prizes…The equipment will support “Kids Gear for Baseball,” a non-profit that distributes equipment to children in need.
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