BOSTON (AP) — Once the Boston Red Sox were done hitting line drives all around Fenway Park, they started thinking more about one that knocked David Price out of the game.
Mookie Betts homered early and had a two-run double in Boston’s 11-run seventh inning as the Red Sox rallied for a 14-6 victory over the Miami Marlins after their hottest pitcher was injured Wednesday night.
“Once we got a couple of good at-bats, a couple of hits, things picked up from there,” Brock Holt said. “We had a lot of fun that inning. You don’t have a lot of innings like that.”
The 33-year-old Price exited in the fourth after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Austin Dean on the final play of the previous inning.
“I think it’ll be all right,” said Price, standing in the middle of the clubhouse wearing a wrap and a brace on his wrist. “Been hit a couple of times this year. I knew it hit me flush and caught bone.”
Boston’s bats knocked around the Marlins’ pitchers a few innings later.
With the Red Sox trailing 5-3, Blake Swihart had a pinch-hit RBI single and Jackie Bradley Jr. tied it with a double before Betts hit his go-ahead shot into the right-center gap off Adam Conley (3-4). Holt followed with a pinch-hit triple and scored on Xander Bogaerts’ single.
Eduardo Nunez and Ian Kinsler had RBI singles before Swihart doubled home his second run of the inning and scored on Bradley’s single. By the time it was over, Boston had its biggest inning of the season.
“I don’t know if I do explain that inning. You don’t see too many like that really, where nobody gets outs,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Betts and Nunez each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who won for the 22nd time in their last 26 interleague games. They increased their AL East lead to 7½ games over the New York Yankees, who lost to the Chicago White Sox.
Dean and Derek Dietrich each had a solo shot for the Marlins. Starlin Castro had two RBI singles.
Tyler Thornburg (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the win.
Signed to a $217 million, seven-year contract as a free agent before the 2016 season, Price has clearly been Boston’s best pitcher since the All-Star break, going 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in six starts before Wednesday, prompting him to say recently: “To be able to get back to the pitcher that Boston signed, it’s about time.”
Price raised his arms quickly in self-defense on Dean’s head-high shot, scrambling after the ball to the right side of the mound, but ended up covering first when first baseman Steve Pearce picked it up and tossed it over for the final out of the inning.
The left-hander looked at his hand as he walked to the dugout and headed straight down the steps toward the clubhouse, followed closely by a team trainer, pitching coach Dana LeVangie and manager Alex Cora.
“He’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Cora said. “The way he’s been throwing the ball, it (stinks) to see that.”
Miami had scored twice to take a 3-1 lead before Price left, on an RBI double by J.T. Realmuto and a run-scoring single by Castro.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Ace lefty Chris Sale, on the 10-day disabled list since Aug. 15 with mild left shoulder inflammation, played catch for the third straight day. … Cora said knuckleballer Steven Wright, on the DL since June 23 with left knee inflammation, will be activated Saturday when rosters expand.
GET SOMEONE ELSE
The Marlins used four relivers in the seventh, giving up 12 hits as Boston sent 15 batters to the plate. Andrew Benintendi made all three outs — with a sacrifice bunt and double-play grounder. The Red Sox were 2 for 2 in pinch-hit at-bats. The last time they scored 10 or more runs and had 10 or more hits in an inning was on June 27, 2003, also against the Marlins at Fenway Park.
“That’s how the game goes sometimes. It’s a tough league, that’s why everybody doesn’t come play,” said Conley, who gave up three runs in one-third of an inning. “Learning experience for me, for sure.”
LONG AT-BAT
Nunez hit his homer on the 12th pitch of the at-bat, after fouling off seven.
UP NEXT
Marlins: After an off day Thursday, RHP Dan Straily (5-6, 4.35 ERA) looks to keep his interleague home success going Friday against the Blue Jays. He’s 5-0 with a 1.28 ERA in seven career starts at home in interleague play.
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (15-7, 4.18) starts the opener of a four-game series Thursday in Chicago against the White Sox. He’s lost his last two outings, giving up eight total runs over 12 innings.
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