A pair of four-run innings helped the Boston Red Sox to a 9-3 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night, marking their second straight victory to claim the three-game series.
All nine Boston players recorded at least one hit as the Red Sox finished with 14. Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill, Rafael Devers, Enmanuel Valdez and Ceddanne Rafaela each had two hits.
After the Phillies scored three runs in the top of the fourth to trim their deficit to 4-3, Boston responded with its second four-run inning in the bottom half of the inning. O’Neill highlighted the inning with a three-run homer to left.
Both of Duran’s hits were doubles.
The offense provided plenty of support for starter Tanner Houck (7-5), who allowed three runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
Brad Keller was the only reliever Boston needed, allowing just two hits and a walk over three shutout innings for his first save of the year.
Kyle Schwarber (3-for-4, three RBIs) and Whit Merrifield (2-for-3, run) led Philadelphia’s offense.
Aaron Nola (8-3) took the loss after allowing eight runs on 11 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. He allowed five straight hits in Boston’s four-run second, including four doubles.
Back-to-back one-out doubles by Valdez and Reese McGuire scored the opening run in the second. McGuire’s liner deep into the right field corner made it 1-0, and he scored on Dominic Smith’s single to center.
Rafaela followed with a double to left to put runners on second and third with one out. Duran hit a double to right to drive in two runs and give the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.
The Phillies answered in the fourth. Two singles and a hit batsman loaded the bases, and Schwarber continued his hot series with a bases-clearing double to deep center with two outs to trim their deficit to 4-3.
The Red Sox wasted little time extending their lead again, responding with a four-run spot in the bottom of the fourth that proved to be all of the offense Houck and the team would need. After Duran walked with two outs to put two on, David Hamilton lined an RBI single to left to give Boston a two-run cushion.
Hamilton proceeded to swipe second base before O’Neil provided the big blow, hitting a three-run homer to increase the lead to 8-3.
Valdez capped Boston’s scoring by smashing a two-out RBI double in the sixth, bringing Devers home after a one-out walk.
–Field Level Media
