J.D. Martinez reacts after hitting a three-run homer and crossing home plate Monday night. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- The Red Sox opened their seven-game homestand with the last-place Rangers last night with their seventh straight win. Boston leads the majors in runs, hits, average, OPS, and doubles, and ranks second in homers and slugging percentage.
Manager Alex Cora said his group's putting it all together at the plate.
"Mookie, Benny, now it's getting fun," Cora said. "Those two guys are getting on base a lot. J.D.'s getting pitches to hit. Hopefully, we finish strong this week and those guys stay hot, and obviously everybody else is contributing."
Sox will try for their eighth straight win tonight at 7:10 when Hector Velazquez squares off with Yovanni Gallardo. Velazquez has appeared in 26 games and he's a perfect 6-0 with a 2.76 ERA. This will be the righty's third start of the year and the first since April 14th. He lasted at least five innings in both. Velazquez is starting in place of Brian Johnson, who'd been filling in for Steven Wright. Both are injured.
Gallardo is 3-0 with a 5.87 ERA in four starts since signing with Texas after his release in Cincinnati. The righty has a 6.12 career ERA at Fenway.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports