When you enjoy playing the game as much as Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts does, magnificent performances are bound to happen.
His smile radiating throughout the ballgame, Betts became the first Red Sox leadoff batsman ever to hit three home runs in a game, leading off the ballgame with a solo shot to center, smashing a three-run blast to left in the second inning, and capping off his fantastic showing at the plate with his first career opposite field home run with a another solo homer in the seventh inning. With those three bombs, Betts lead Boston to a 6-2 win over the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles.
Betts was also astounding in the field, making perhaps the most impressive defensive grab of the MLB season to date to end the seventh inning as he dove to rob Orioles third baseman Paul Janish of a base hit with an incredible catch in shallow right field.
E-Rod enjoys success in return start
The outing propelled Boston starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0) to a victory in his first appearance of the season after returning from the disabled list.
Lasting six innings, the left-hander allowed just two runs on six hits, striking out three and walking none while keeping the majority of his pitches within the strike zone.
With the win, the Red Sox (32-20), who garnered at least 10 hits for the league-leading 33rd time in 2016, improved their lead in the division to three games over the Orioles, a season high.
Gausman remains without a win
On the other side of the mound, Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman (0-3) remained winless on the season. He yielded five runs on five hits and two walks in six innings of work despite striking out eight batters.
Gausman, who boasts an ERA of just 3.78, settled in over his final four innings of work, allowing just two hits, however, the Red Sox battered him early.
Betts began the contest with a deep home run to center, and second baseman Dustin Pedroia (2-for-5) followed that up with a solo home run of his own to center field to give Boston a 2-0 lead before a single out was recorded.
In the subsequent inning, Gausman was hampered by a pair of walks to the lower portion of the Red Sox order. Center fielder Chris Young (filling in for Jackie Bradley Jr. who was absent on paternity leave) and catcher Christian Vazquez reached on balls to bring Betts to the plate with two outs. Betts then smacked a line drive over the short porch in left field to increase the Boston advantage to an insurmountable 5-0.
Baltimore reached the scoreboard in the third inning when an RBI double to deep right-center by left fielder Nolan Reimold plated a singling right fielder Joey Rickard. However, a fantastic leaping catch by Young at the center field wall robbed shortstop Manny Machado of a potential home run with two outs, limiting the damage to just a single run.
Despite being unable to lay any colossal damage on Rodriguez, the Orioles were persistent. They took advantage of the 23-year-old's shakiness in the fifth inning for another run as Janish doubled to deep right center. Then, center fielder Adam Jones scored him with a subsequent RBI single with two down.
Boston was unfazed by the momentum shift. The Red Sox jumped on reliever Dylan Bundy in the top of the seventh inning as Betts laced an opposite field line drive home run to increase the lead to 6-2. The 6-2 score remained as relievers Robbie Ross Jr., Koji Uehara, and Craig Kimbrel allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings of relief.
A bloop single in the seventh inning preserved Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts' league-leading 24-game hitting streak, keeping it alive as the American League's leader in batting average chases teammate Bradley Jr.'s season-high 29-game mark.