Martinez, Bogaerts struggling
MassLive
J.D. Martinez went 0-for-4 and left three men on base Friday.
He’s 0-for-12 with four strikeouts in his past three games. He’s 4-for-34 (.118) in his past nine games.
“J.D. went through a stretch like a month ago ... that he wasn’t walking. And he was swinging at pitches that were at the edges of the strike zone. It doesn’t matter if you’re J.D. Martinez or Alex Cora, a .230 hitter, if you swing at the edge of the strike zone, it’s hard to hit the ball hard. So it’s just getting back to what he does. ... Teams are going to avoid the strike zone with him. They’re going to pitch to the edges. And when he’s in that swing-mode, aggressive-mode, then he expands and there’s no hard contact.”
Xander Bogaerts had two infield singles Friday. He’s 6-for-33 (.182) in his past nine games. He has dealt with a wrist issue recently.