Boston Red Sox: Offensive swag returns as Sox blast Blue Jays in Buffalo

The Boston Red Sox Twitter account said it best when it tweeted, “Ain’t no party like a home run party!” following the teams 13-4 offensive awakening against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday night in Buffalo.

That party started right in the first inning as a reshuffled Red Sox lineup responded in a big way following a quiet series down there in the Bronx.  And maybe, it was more losing 2-of-3 to the New York Yankees that sparked some life in the walking dead known as the Sox lineup the past few weeks.

To be real, it was probably a combination of that sent Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling to an early shower before fans even settled in their seats.

Boston Red Sox rookie gets the swagger flowing right off the bat

An 8-run first inning sparked by this first major league homerun from outstanding rookie outfielder Jarren Duran not only set the tone for the night, but made Alex Cora look like a genius for recreating a Red Sox lineup that caught fire right away:

Following the Yankees series, the Red Sox manager said a major wakeup was needed so he provided one.

"“We haven’t been great offensively since we went to Oakland,” Cora said, via MLB.com.  “And I just felt like moving people around would probably relax a few guys.”More from Chowder and Champions3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster DeadlineMLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season"

It certainly did that.  Moving Duran to the No. 2 spot saw results instantly as the man in the leadoff spot served up two hits in that first inning.  Not only did Kike Hernandez single ahead of Duran to score on his two-run blast, but he also provided his own two-run rocket later in the inning.

The true damage was done by that man known as the “Huntsman.”  With the bases loaded and the team already up 2-0, Hunter Renfroe sent one out that had the team up quickly 6-0.  Highlighted by that three homerun first inning, the Red Sox blasted 6 homers in total as Rafael Devers and Danny Santana got in the act.  Hernandez belted his second homer of the night in the sixth inning.

As Twitter was buzzing, the Boston Red Sox offense certainly got that swagger back on Monday night by sending moonshots into the Buffalo night early and often.

An easy night for Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta

As much as Alex Cora and the Red Sox fans enjoyed the offensive onslaught in the first inning, starting pitcher Nick Pivetta just sat back and enjoyed as his team staked him to an 8-0 lead before he even took the mound.

Facing a very dangerous Toronto Blue Jays lineup, the right-hander still had to put in the work, but such an early lead had him relaxed and certainly took the pressure off as he obviously benefitted from the homerun party in the first two innings of the game.

"“Yeah, I mean it takes a lot of pressure off a pitcher in that situation,” Pivetta said after the game, as transcribed by NESN.  “Our job goes to going out and throwing zeros, and competing, and getting the team back in the dugout as quick as possible so they can continue what they were doing.”"

Pivetta did exactly that…well mostly.

In 6 2/3 innings, the Red Sox rightly yielded 11 hits and allowed four runs in the fourth inning.  With such a big lead, it was hard to keep complete focus, but he got himself together to record his eighth victory of the season.

In the standings, that is really all that matters.

Red Sox lineup change also benefits J.D. Martinez

While everyone was hitting homeruns, Red Sox All-Star J.D. Martinez settled for base hits.

Moved to the No. 5 spot in the lineup, the designated hitter responded with a quiet 4-for-4 night that did include two doubles.  In making the move to get Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts hitting ahead of Martinez, Cora wanted to get more people on base ahead of Martinez.

It certainly worked on this night in Buffalo and something the Boston Red Sox skipper must consider going forward.  If Hernandez can secure that leadoff spot and Duran becomes a consistent sensation, Martinez batting in that fifth spot could be a gold mine offensively.

At the very least, it’s worth giving this lineup another shot after a 13-run debut.