DETROIT, MI - JUNE 29: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Detroit Tigers avoids an inside pitch during the third inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Royals 7-3. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Boston Red Sox have been on a hot streak this season, going 15-2 after thrashing the Los Angeles Angels 9-0 in Anaheim on Wednesday.
However, the Sox’s new outfielder J.D. Martinez — a former Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks player — is cautioning against calling the team the best in Major League Baseball just yet.
“Yeah,” Martinez said, smiling. “I think it’s way too early for that. Come at me when it’s July, you know? That’s when you can start having those conversations.”
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The Red Sox, led by new manager Alex Cora, have won six straight games to be three games ahead of the second-place Toronto Blue Jays (12-5) and 6.5 games ahead of the third-place New York Yankees (8-8) in the AL East. Boston’s only two losses this year have been their season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays and a 10-7 loss to the Yankees at Fenway Park last week that included an all-out brawl after a hit-by-pitch. One player on each team, Tyler Austin and Joe Kelly, was suspended for the fight, and both players appealed their bans.
Cora’s squad also leads MLB in starting-pitcher ERA (1.91), run-differential (plus-60) and runs per game (6.35), according to ESPN.
The Red Sox defeated the Angels 10-1 on Tuesday, and three of their home runs came from Mookie Betts.
“I’m in a good place,” Cora told ESPN of his team. “I know how good they are, but it’s just something about them that makes you feel confident, you know? You show up every day to work, you enjoy it. I’m having a blast with them, not only in the dugout but in the clubhouse. It’s fun. It’s fun to be around them. It’s a good group. We’ve grown together, we’re learning together, and we’re going to keep getting better.”
Cora was a bench coach last year for the defending national champion Houston Astros, who beat the Red Sox in the American League Division Series. Boston clinched their division after winning 93 games.
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The Red Sox will face the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday at 10:07pm EST for the series finale. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will start for Boston, while Nick Tropeano will take the mound for the home team.
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