Martinez returns to lineup with 3-run dinger

ST. PETERSBURG -- Things got busy for the Red Sox in the hour leading into Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Rays on Friday.

First, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was able to put All-Star designated hitter J.D. Martinez in the starting lineup. Cora held the lineup for several hours waiting to see if Martinez (sprained left ankle) would be healthy enough to give it a go.

And right after that news came out, Boston made a roster move, adding veteran reliever Matt Barnes while subtracting righty Garrett Richards due to a left hamstring strain.

Richards made three pitches and retired the only batter he faced in the second inning of Boston's 5-0 defeat in Game 1.

Per MLB rules, Richards will be ineligible to pitch for the remainder of this series or the ALCS if the Red Sox advance.

As for Martinez, he batted sixth in his first action in five days. And he quickly shook off the rust, lacing a single to right in his first at-bat and then a three-run rocket over the wall in center in the fifth that snapped a 5-5 tie. The slugger finished the night with four hits in Boston's 14-6 rout.

The Sox won the AL Wild Card Game against the Yankees, 6-2, without Martinez's big right-handed bat. However, Boston got shut out in Game 1 of the ALDS with Martinez on the roster but not in action.

Martinez looked comfortable taking batting practice and Cora posted his lineup right after.

After a down 2020 season, Martinez bounced back to slash .286/.349/.518 with 28 homers and 99 RBIs.

In 21 career postseason games, Martinez is a .286 hitter with six homers and 20 RBIs.

Barnes, the longest-tenured Boston reliever and an All-Star closer in the first half of the season, was a tough omission for the Sox when they submitted their original ALDS roster on Thursday.

In 60 games this season, Barnes converted 24 of 30 save chances while posting a 3.79 ERA. He is battle tested in October, having gotten huge outs for the Red Sox throughout the 2018 postseason.

Devers swinging through it
Given that it is the playoffs, when every swing is magnified, there was a lot of attention given on social media and on the broadcast of Game 1 of the ALDS of Rafael Devers taking some uncomfortable-looking cuts at the plate. Devers was grimacing at times and his right hand seemed to be falling off the bat on his follow-through.

The star third baseman of the Red Sox has worn a compression sleeve on his right arm for every game, starting with Sept. 26 against the Yankees.

Though the Red Sox haven't divulged an injury and Devers hasn't mentioned it in any interviews, The Boston Globe reported that Devers has been dealing with discomfort in his right forearm that is exacerbated when he swings and misses. It doesn't help that Devers probably swings as hard as anyone in baseball. Devers declined a chance to discuss his health after Game 1.

"Over 162 games you're not going to be 100 percent," said Cora. "He's posting, and that's the most important thing. I don't think everybody is 100 percent right now. They go through their day, they get treatment if they need to and they get ready to play the game. And that's where we're at with everybody."

Despite whatever discomfort he has been dealing with over the past 10 days or so, Devers carried the Red Sox to their spot in the playoffs by belting three home runs in the final two games of the regular season. He was in the No. 3 slot of Cora's lineup for Game 2.

Game 4 would be Marathon Monday
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there hasn't been a Boston Marathon since 2019. The Patriots' Day game in April, with an 11 a.m. ET start time, has traditionally been one of the most festive days on the Boston sports calendar with the Red Sox and the marathon happening at the same time.

If the Red Sox can stretch this series to Game 4, it would be played on Monday night (first pitch of 7:07 p.m.), which would be hours after the races concludes.

You can be sure the Red Sox will wear their City Connect yellow jerseys for that one. Boston first donned those uniforms back in April -- the weekend the marathon was originally supposed to take place. The players wanted to wear them again and did for five straight wins at Fenway Park, Sept. 17-22.

"It's getting ahead of ourselves, but actually, I was talking to Kiké [Hernández] about it early in the season about how special the day is and what it means to everybody in the area," said Cora.

As a reserve for the Red Sox, Cora was in manager Terry Francona's starting lineup for three straight Marathon Mondays from 2006-08.

"As a player, it was great," said Cora. "It was a great day. Just walking to Fenway and to be part of it, the fact that Tito always put me into play, because it was an 11 a.m. game and he wanted to rest the horses of the team. It was cool, because I would get four at-bats regardless. But it's a special day for everybody, and, yeah, I mean, that's the goal, right, to play two at home, and it should be a very special day for us."