The Boston Red Sox racked up 16 hits and had seven multi-hit performances in a 13-9 home-opening win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday afternoon.
Back-to-back home runs by Trevor Story (2-for-5, three RBIs) and Wilyer Abreu (3-for-5, two runs, two RBIs) highlighted a five-run first inning. Boston scored in four more frames and held off a three-run St. Louis rally in the ninth to make a winner of starter Walker Buehler (1-1).
Triston Casas (2-for-5, two runs) and Carlos Narvaez (2-for-3, two RBIs) also had multiple hits and contributed to multiple runs while exciting rookie Kristian Campbell scored three times.
The Red Sox tagged St. Louis starter Erick Fedde (1-1) for six runs on five hits and four walks in three innings.
For St. Louis, Ivan Herrera hit his fourth homer in the last two games while Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson each had three hits.
The Red Sox sent all nine to the plate during their five-run first. After Jarren Duran knocked a leadoff single and Rafael Devers walked, Bregman lined a double into the left-field corner to give Boston a 1-0 lead before the first out was made.
Story delivered a towering three-run blast over the Green Monster, then Abreu knocked the next pitch over the right-field bullpen for a solo homer.
Boston added on in the third. After Campbell walked and recorded his first career stolen base, Narvaez knocked an RBI single through the right side.
After Buehler retired five of the first six he faced, Victor Scott II drew a leadoff walk and scored on Lars Nootbar’s end-of-the-bat knock through the shortstop hole in the third.
St. Louis crept within 6-4 as three straight batters reached and scored to begin the fourth. After Nolan Arenado’s wall-ball double and a Burleson single, Herrera’s shot into the right-center field bullpen cleared the bases.
The fifth inning began with back-to-back Buehler strikeouts before Donovan’s two-out shot to right brought the Cardinals within 6-5, but an Abreu RBI single and Campbell sacrifice fly brought home insurance runs during the hosts’ half.
After Donovan drove in his second run on a two-out single in the seventh, the Red Sox responded with another three-run spot. Ceddanne Rafaela’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice started the rally before Duran and Devers laced RBI singles.
In the eighth, reliever Brennan Bernardino struck out the side before Casas doubled and scored on Abreu’s grounder for a 12-6 lead. Narvaez followed with an RBI double two batters later.
St. Louis did not go quietly as Willson Contreras and Donovan posted RBI singles during a three-run, three-hit ninth. Herrera came to the plate as the tying run with the bases loaded, but Boston closer Aroldis Chapman got Herrera to ground into a game-ending double play.
–Field Level Media
