Red Sox Notebook: Xander Bogaerts not crossed up by Buck Showalter

Orioles manager Buck Showalter sure was in a hurry last night.

Before Xander Bogaerts had reached home and while he was rounding third base on his fifth-inning home run, Showalter crossed the base line in front of the runner on his way to the mound to pull Orioles starter Kevin Gausman.

That’s not standard operating procedure, to say the least.

Showalter was not asked about it after the game, but his hurried stroll caught Bogaerts’ attention.

“I did, I did, I did” see it, said Bogaerts. “I mean, I don’t know if you can do that or you can’t. I wasn’t worried either. But I kind of saw him as I was rounding third, you know?”

What did he make of that?

“At that time, not much, I was focused on touching the bases and getting my home run,” Bogaerts said. “But I saw him, I didn’t think anything of it but afterwards, the guys, they’ve never seen stuff like that happen on a daily basis, that was weird.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after the game that he had not noticed but that he would catch up on the video later.

Bradley back in

After sitting out the entire Oakland series and missing three of the six games before that to work on his ailing swing, Jackie Bradley Jr. got a start and looked OK. He went 0-for-3, struck out once, popped out, flied out, worked a walk, stole a base and scored a run.

“Good, good, yeah, he contributed,” Cora said. “Got his walk, stole a base, scored on a sac fly. That’s good. Good swings. I didn’t look at the video but I think it was a front-door sinker (on the strikeout) and he’s got good stuff too, Gausman, throwing 95, 96, but it was good, yeah.”

In a groove

Asked why first-year Red Sox J.D. Martinez is thriving in a town and market where other talented “outsiders” have not, Cora said Martinez’ blinders game is strong.

“The outside noise doesn’t bother him,” said Cora. “Think about this offseason, it took awhile. We’re talking about probably the best hitter in the free agent market and it took a while. But I go back to that meeting in Orlando (last December) and the way he talked about baseball and how much he cares. I came out of that meeting like ‘If this happens he’ll be fine.’ It’s baseball mostly every day, the whole day for him. Working on his swing, watching video, taking notes, and everything. It’s his passion and as we know it’s a passionate sports town. They’re passionate about the organization, our team, and he fits right in.”

With a first-inning home run last night, Martinez has homered in eight of his last 15 games, and four of his last five.

Martinez left the game after his fifth-inning at-bat because of a stomach bug. Cora said he should be fine for tonight’s game.

With his 13th home run of the season, he leads MLB with home runs since last year’s All-Star break with 44.

Strong teamwork

Before last night, Martinez and Mookie Betts had combined to hit .348 with 25 homers, 64 RBI, a .411 on-base percentage, .687 slugging percentage and 1.099 OPS in 43 games. No other team has multiple qualifying hitters batting .330 or higher. The Red Sox are the only team with two players with a 1.000-plus OPS.

Of the five players in the big leagues with at least 100 plate appearances and an OPS of 1.000 or higher, three are Red Sox: Betts, Martinez and Mitch Moreland (1.005).

The order of the five is Betts (1.161), Manny Machado of the Orioles (1.074), Martinez (1.039), Moreland and Freddie Freeman of the Braves (1.001). . . .

The Red Sox stole five bases, a season high. …

The Red Sox have now won at least 30 of their first 44 games for the seventh time in franchise history, the last time being 2007. They have now won their last seven games against the Orioles and are 18-8 against the AL East. . . .

David Price’s complete game was the first by a Red Sox pitcher since Doug Fister threw a one-hitter last Aug. 22. His 95 pitches were the fewest in a Red Sox complete game since Rick Porcello needed 89 on Sept. 19. 2016.

In 12 games at Fenway this season, Bogaerts is batting .362 (17-for-47) with four home runs.

Cora’s call

Sandy Leon caught Price for the first time this season, in Price’s ninth start.

Cora reiterated that the starters don’t have much say when it comes to requesting a certain catcher.

“No, they never ask me — they never tell me, actually,” Cora said. “They are comfortable with anybody. We’re there in spring training. It is one of those if Sandy doesn’t catch (last night), then he’ll catch probably (tomorrow), as that is Porcello’s outing. It is one of those where you don’t want to give a guy too many off days in between. We’re comfortable with (Leon). We know he’s going to call a good game. He’s going to do his thing blocking balls and shutting down the running game. We’re comfortable.”

Old time fun

For the first time in a quarter century, Fenway Park will host an alumni game.

At 10:30 a.m on Sunday, May 27, before the 1:10 game against the Braves, ticket-holders to the game can watch an array of former Red Sox including Pedro Martinez, Wade Boggs, Derek Lowe, Bill Lee and Mike Lowell play a three-inning intrasquad game managed by Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant.

The last alumni game played at Fenway Park was held on May 29, 1993, a game featuring Jim Rice, Jim Lonborg and Carl Yastrzemski playing a team that included Ernie Banks, Vida Blue and Cesar Cedeno.

The event concludes four days’ worth of alumni events.

The Sox said 25 alumni, in addition to Evans and Tiant, will take part in the game. Also on the list are Oil Can Boyd, Orlando Cabrera, Scott Cooper, Jim Corsi, Lenny DiNardo, Alan Embree, Rich Garces, Jonny Gomes, Mike Greenwell, Sam Horn, Chris Howard, Darren Lewis, Steve Lomasney, Julio Lugo, Steve Lyons, Lou Merloni, Rick Miller, Mike Myers, Troy O’Leary and Keith MacWhorter. . . .