Keibert Ruiz broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals beat the visiting Boston Red Sox 6-2 on Wednesday night.
Stone Garrett homered twice for the Nationals, who have won four of their last five games.
Boston’s Pablo Reyes hit a two-run homer off Jordan Weems with one out in the eighth inning to tie the score 2-2.
In the bottom half of the frame, Lane Thomas led off with a single against Garrett Whitlock (5-4). Joey Meneses was hit by a pitch and Ruiz clubbed an 0-1 changeup to center for his 15th homer of the season. Garrett followed with his second homer of the night to make it 6-2.
Jose A. Ferrer (2-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning for the win.
Washington starter MacKenzie Gore tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings before leaving with a finger injury. Gore winced after throwing a first-pitch changeup to Trevor Story with a runner on first in the seventh.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez and trainer Paul Lessard came out to the mound to check on Gore, who departed after a brief conversation with the pair.
Gore allowed one hit, walked two and struck out seven while throwing 85 pitches.
Red Sox starter James Paxton was solid, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Michael Chavis led off the third inning against Paxton and homered to left field on a 1-2 knuckle curve to make it 1-0.
Gore retired the first 10 Red Sox before Justin Turner singled with one out in the fourth.
It was Garrett’s turn to strike in the fourth, when he led off with a homer to center off Paxton to double Washington’s lead.
Alex Verdugo singled against Weems with one out in the eighth and Reyes followed by lining a 2-1 fastball into the Red Sox bullpen in left center for his second homer of the season.
–Field Level Media
