Red Sox 25, Marlins 8

While I was at the movies, the Red Sox were pounding upon the Marlins, setting new records across the board. This game had it all—heroes, drama, villains. There was more excitement in that game than in the movie I saw last night.

The Sox pushed across 10 runs before the first out of the first inning, a major league record. They knocked two pitchers out of the game before either one could get an out. Centerfielder Johnny Damon went three for three in the first, before the first out, getting a single, a double, and a triple.

In the seventh, Marlins pitcher Kevin Olsen was hit by a line drive off the bat of second-baseman Todd Walker. He lay on the ground for some time before they carted him off in a stretcher, but news reports say he’s doing okay today.

The Marlins seemed to be frustrated with Sox, thinking they were running up the score. But what are they supposed to do? Swing at every bad pitch and go down swinging because they feel bad for them? The Sox players have statistics to worry about too, and the batters will take advantage of bad pitching and fielding to increase the averages. That frustration hit the field in the eighth when Sox firstbaseman David Ortiz was hit by a pitch. He was hit in the leg near the ankle and went down hard. In the ninth, Sox pitcher Hector Almonte threw a pitch behind the first Marlin he faced and was ejected as the benches emptied, but no punches were thrown.

Even better than the offensive juggernaut is the fact that the Sox have won their last eight home games and their last five games over all. I hope they head in the All Star break with momentum.