Kike Hernandez homered on the first pitch of the game and Trevor Story, Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez also went deep as the visiting Boston Red Sox routed the Chicago White Sox 16-3 on Tuesday for their season-high sixth straight victory.

Boston out-hit Chicago 19-6 to win for the ninth time in its last 11 games. The Red Sox achieved season highs for runs and hits by the fifth inning.

J.D. Martinez led the way with four hits while Vazquez had three hits and four RBIs and Story had two hits and four RBIs. Each Red Sox starter had at least one hit and one run, and all but one had an RBI.

Chicago right-hander Dylan Cease stumbled through his shortest start of the season, yielding seven runs and eight hits in three innings. Cease (4-2) walked two and struck out four while yielding a pair of home runs for the second time in his past three starts.

On May 7, Cease pitched five innings of one-run ball at Boston in a no-decision.

Nick Pivetta, Cease’s opposite number in that game and on Tuesday, retired the first nine White Sox before Tim Anderson doubled to lead off the fourth inning. Jose Abreu put Chicago on the board three batters later, smacking a two-run home run to center field.

Pivetta improved to 3-4 after scattering three runs and five hits in six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. It was the right-hander’s fourth consecutive quality start.

As if an eight-run cushion weren’t enough, the Red Sox scored six runs in the fifth. Boston scored in its first five at-bats.

Anderson, Abreu and Andrew Vaughn each had two hits for the White Sox. Anderson logged his fifth straight multi-hit game, extending his major-league-best total to 19.

Chicago’s Vince Velasquez contributed three innings of scoreless relief with a walk and five strikeouts.

Chicago center fielder Luis Robert missed the game and will be sidelined for the series as he was placed on the COVID-19 list.

–Field Level Media