J.D. hits 30 and 31 to regain MLB HR lead

BALTIMORE -- J.D. Martinez watched Jose Ramirez of the Indians take the MLB home run lead away from him right out of the All-Star break. The Red Sox slugger -- who entered Tuesday with just one hit since his participation in the All-Star festivities -- finally responded. Not once, but twice.
In the first inning of Boston's 7-6 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night, Martinez sent an 0-1 fastball from Yefry Ramirez, projected at 390 feet by Statcast™, to the opposite field for his 30th homer of the season to open the scoring and tie the Ramirez. Then in the eighth, Martinez connected again on a two-run shot off Mychal Givens to bring the Red Sox to within 7-5.

In between, after Jonathan Schoop's two-run homer gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the third, Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts went back-to-back in the fifth as Boston retook the lead, 3-2. It was Swihart's first home run since Sept. 29, 2015, and Betts' 24th of 2018.

Martinez's first-inning homer also broke a mini-slump for the slugger, who had been 1-for-10 since the Red Sox returned to action in the second half of the season.