Red Sox continue to take care of business on road in series-opener vs. Marlins

Sometimes a lousy team, otherwise known as a slumpbuster, is just what you need to get back on track and hopefully get a winning streak going. For the Boston Red Sox, the Miami Marlins – and another road trip – may have been just what the proverbial baseball doctor ordered.

After salvaging a win against the San Diego Padres at home Sunday to avoid the series sweep, the Sox took their talents to South Beach, or more accurately the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, and beat the Marlins 8-3 in the opener of a three-game series at LoanDepot Park. Interestingly enough the park, which features a retractable roof, is built on 17 acres of the old Orange Bowl where the Miami Hurricanes played college football for seven decades. Considering the season the Marlins are having (second-worst record in MLB) perhaps a screening of “The U” or a scrimmage featuring legends like Bernie Kosar and Ray Lewis might be more entertaining for their fans.

Back to baseball…the Sox wasted no time jumping on 24-year-old rookie starter Valente Bellozo, who made his MLB debut within the last week, tossing five scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals in a losing effort. Though he did strike out eight Sox Tuesday, he was not as fortunate as in his previous start, going five frames again but giving up five earned.

Rafael Devers got Boston on the board in the first with a two-run single, a crooked number that was added to in the fourth with a three-run dinger by Cedanne Rafaela (extending the Sox home run streak to 12 games).

Kutter Crawford, who got knocked around at Great American Ball Park by the Cincinnati Reds in his last start, delivered exactly what the Sox needed: a quality start. A meatball in the fifth to Jake Burger that led to a solo homer was the only mistake on the night, as Crawford pitched six innings, striking out seven and walking none. Again, the Marlins are not good, and the Red Sox are hot on the heels of being in the third wild card slot, so if they mean business this is exactly the kind of game and effort they should get.

While he was not the offensive star of the night, with Rafaela, Devers and Masataka Yoshida all multi-hit participants at the dish, spark plug in bloom and soon-to-be All-Star Jarren Duran added to his spectacular 2024 resume late in the game with a ball that almost made it to downtown Miami.

Duran is putting together not only his best season to date but one of the best all-around seasons in the majors.

Should Duran keep up his stellar all-around offensive output, the Sox should be able to stay in the AL wild card race until reinforcements arrive, be they from within or outside the organization.

For now the Sox, who are 7-1 in their last eight road games, need to take care of business and beat the teams they should (and forget about splits with the Chicago White Sox). Tuesday night was a good start vs. a team already looking to 2025. The Sox will try to run it to three in a row Wednesday night in Miami, and considering that they’re a markedly better team away from home (20-23 at Fenway vs. 25-16 on the road), maybe they’re right where they belong with a little less than two weeks before the All-Star break.