Rafael Devers drove in four runs with two home runs and James Paxton held the struggling Padres to one run over six innings as the Boston Red Sox scored a 6-1 win in San Diego on Friday.
Devers put the Red Sox ahead 1-0 with a homer leading off the second inning, then capped a five-run third with a 435-foot, three-run blast to straightaway center.
The win was the third straight for the Red Sox. The Padres, who earlier in the day placed third baseman Manny Machado on the 10-day disabled list due to a hairline fracture in his left hand, lost their third straight game and fell for the 10th time in 12 games.
Paxton (1-0) allowed one run — a third-inning solo homer by Fernando Tatis Jr. — on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He earned his first win in just his second start since having Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in April 2021.
He hadn’t earned a major league victory since Aug. 15, 2020. Paxton has made just eight major league appearances since the start of 2020.
Josh Winckowski issued one walk and struck out two over three scoreless innings in relief of Paxton to earn his second save.
The Padres opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles by Tatis and Ha-Seong Kim. However, Tatis was thrown out by left fielder Rob Refsnyder trying to stretch his hit into a double.
The Padres loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, but Paxton retired Adam Engel on a popout to first base.
Devers’ first homer traveled 381 feet into the right field seats on a 2-1 curveball from Blake Snell (1-6), giving the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second.
Connor Wong opened the Boston third with a double. Snell then issued back-to-back walks to Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner, loading the bases. Refsnyder hit a two-run double one pitch after first base umpire Malachi Moore ruled the left fielder hadn’t gone around on a two-strike check swing.
Devers followed with his 13th homer of the season.
Snell, who entered the game with a 7-3 record and a 2.59 ERA in 12 career starts against the Red Sox, gave up all six Boston runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in four innings.
Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who left the Red Sox to sign an 11-year, $280 million free agent deal with San Diego in December, went 0-for-4.
–Field Level Media
