Lakers' Russell To Opt In, High On Redick's Arrival
BOSTON -- — Jackson Merrill hit a three-run homer and Kyle Higashioka added a two-run shot in a nine-run fifth inning, leading the San Diego Padres to a 9-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
“That was the most dope moment ever,” said Merrill, who grew up a Red Sox fan and was playing his first game at Fenway Park. “I don’t usually like to talk about what I do. I like to talk about the wins, but that was probably the dopest moment. I’ve watched so many games here, growing up a big Red Sox fan, to come in and hit a homer, that’s an unreal feeling."
The Padres sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth, with nine scoring on eight hits and two walks. The first nine batters reached base safely. Every batter in the Padres starting lineup had at least one hit and scored a run.
The nine runs scored matches the most in an inning for the Padres this season. They also scored nine runs in the eighth inning on May 31 against the Kansas City Royals. The nine runs allowed surpassed Boston’s previous season high of seven runs scored by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning on Tuesday.
“A lot going on,” Padres manager Mike Schildt said of the fifth inning. “We talk about, you can never have enough runs. So, we stay hungry to get more. We want to continue to add on as much as possible all the time.”
After Nick Pivetta (4-5) gave up four hits — including Higashioka’s ninth homer of the season — and a walk to open the fifth, he was replaced by Greg Weissert, who gave up four straight hits including two-run singles to Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano and Merrill’s 11th homer of the season.
“The sweeper didn’t perform in that inning,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Pivetta’s pitch. “Just wasn’t able to execute and everything happened so fast. I’m usually not that aggressive bringing in the bullpen, but I wanted to give them a different look with the lefty there. It was still early in the game.”
Pivetta called his outing "dissatisfying.”
“I was hanging pitches in the middle of the zone and they took advantage of it because they’re a good baseball team," he said.
Right-hander Randy Vásquez started for the Padres and went four-plus innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk with one strikeout. He was replaced by Wandy Peralta after Ceddanne Rafaela’s comebacker hit him on his pitching arm and he suffered a forearm contusion.
“Thankfully, X-rays negative, no fracture or anything. Got him in the forearm pretty good,” Schildt said. “That was a shame because this guy was pitching really well.”
Right-hander Stephen Kolek (2-0) threw two scoreless innings, giving up a hit with two strikeouts.
Connor Wong’s two-out single scored Wilyer Abreu from second base in the fourth to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Rafael Devers hit his 17th home run of the season in the sixth.
Xander Bogaerts, who won two World Series titles in his 10 seasons in Boston, received a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd after the Red Sox showed a video tribute before the second inning. It was his first time back since signing with the Padres as a free agent in December 2022.
ROSTER MOVES
The Red Sox reinstated C Connor Wong from the paternity list and called up LHP Bailey Horn from Triple-A Worcester. C Tyler Heineman and RHP Isaiah Campbell were optioned to Worcester on Thursday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: LHP Tom Cosgrove was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, with left elbow inflammation. LHP Austin Davis was called up from Triple-A El Paso to take his spot on the roster. … RHP Joe Musgrove, out since May 29 with right elbow inflammation, was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Padres continue their three-game series on Saturday. RHP Tanner Houck (7-5, 2.18 ERA) is scheduled to start for Boston, opposed by RHP Michael King (5-5, 3.75).
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Maxresdefault 9043f4c92be73f86c9a602d5e7f7868d C6bc59523e422b5447352774c1e4c960 945d34bf7e5c90796de67c80e925daab 5aaa1f9f7b9a4576290c2cf04ee07be7 073626ee601e345cfbc2496c2a1272a6 1c15ccad643a035b3fd4cd4d44e99939 2ec60d47e5a0bf8ab8cca8b001c14cb3 Il 1588xN.1584111355 J1ev 8e8f02c6c2040395386c723037be106f Single Gray 4292b79a6b7a9f90bfbe5982fdda1c62 Il Fullxfull.1536647180 Q6sz Il 1080xN.1584111193 Mc7a C1a1f9499811bb7b0bb0f5590d070443 E044eff9cfd0f6ff08e89c8ba671c549 Il 1140xN.1536647084 282g A47137bb3be2ef0d19497ac60704e4a6?AccessKeyId=6FE4C1F2ECC402516BCE&disposition=0&alloworigin=1853973578804accf5ebe760eebd2967f F44ec7f0fefa89ee2ab73465a82a95aa Il 300x300.1059026782 M7xi Il 300x300.1536647084 282g Fc0575b93e2bb677cf1bb9de9553619c 6c7053c5b55c7c2aeb4040f9203f2cc2 Banner 12 Memorialbridgesailinlmtlmted13x19 Orig NB015 247x300 107da465d42fca451b13f2e1806e7d96 Etching1 16038024892019 10 23 MonumentCutout9 Copy 400x400 TRANDR091 Low Res V8 MOF 36396.1654094558 ?c=215 SignedSealed P1010006 400x284
Lakers' Russell To Opt In, High On Redick's Arrival
BOSTON -- — Jackson Merrill hit a three-run homer and Kyle Higashioka added a two-run shot in a nine-run fifth inning, leading the San Diego Padres to a 9-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
“That was the most dope moment ever,” said Merrill, who grew up a Red Sox fan and was playing his first game at Fenway Park. “I don’t usually like to talk about what I do. I like to talk about the wins, but that was probably the dopest moment. I’ve watched so many games here, growing up a big Red Sox fan, to come in and hit a homer, that’s an unreal feeling."
The Padres sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth, with nine scoring on eight hits and two walks. The first nine batters reached base safely. Every batter in the Padres starting lineup had at least one hit and scored a run.
The nine runs scored matches the most in an inning for the Padres this season. They also scored nine runs in the eighth inning on May 31 against the Kansas City Royals. The nine runs allowed surpassed Boston’s previous season high of seven runs scored by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning on Tuesday.
“A lot going on,” Padres manager Mike Schildt said of the fifth inning. “We talk about, you can never have enough runs. So, we stay hungry to get more. We want to continue to add on as much as possible all the time.”
After Nick Pivetta (4-5) gave up four hits — including Higashioka’s ninth homer of the season — and a walk to open the fifth, he was replaced by Greg Weissert, who gave up four straight hits including two-run singles to Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano and Merrill’s 11th homer of the season.
“The sweeper didn’t perform in that inning,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Pivetta’s pitch. “Just wasn’t able to execute and everything happened so fast. I’m usually not that aggressive bringing in the bullpen, but I wanted to give them a different look with the lefty there. It was still early in the game.”
Pivetta called his outing "dissatisfying.”
“I was hanging pitches in the middle of the zone and they took advantage of it because they’re a good baseball team," he said.
Right-hander Randy Vásquez started for the Padres and went four-plus innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk with one strikeout. He was replaced by Wandy Peralta after Ceddanne Rafaela’s comebacker hit him on his pitching arm and he suffered a forearm contusion.
“Thankfully, X-rays negative, no fracture or anything. Got him in the forearm pretty good,” Schildt said. “That was a shame because this guy was pitching really well.”
Right-hander Stephen Kolek (2-0) threw two scoreless innings, giving up a hit with two strikeouts.
Connor Wong’s two-out single scored Wilyer Abreu from second base in the fourth to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Rafael Devers hit his 17th home run of the season in the sixth.
Xander Bogaerts, who won two World Series titles in his 10 seasons in Boston, received a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd after the Red Sox showed a video tribute before the second inning. It was his first time back since signing with the Padres as a free agent in December 2022.
ROSTER MOVES
The Red Sox reinstated C Connor Wong from the paternity list and called up LHP Bailey Horn from Triple-A Worcester. C Tyler Heineman and RHP Isaiah Campbell were optioned to Worcester on Thursday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: LHP Tom Cosgrove was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, with left elbow inflammation. LHP Austin Davis was called up from Triple-A El Paso to take his spot on the roster. … RHP Joe Musgrove, out since May 29 with right elbow inflammation, was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Padres continue their three-game series on Saturday. RHP Tanner Houck (7-5, 2.18 ERA) is scheduled to start for Boston, opposed by RHP Michael King (5-5, 3.75).
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
