Alex Verdugo had a two-run homer and Nick Pivetta pitched effectively into the sixth inning to pace the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night in the opener of the three-game series.

Pivetta (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven with one walk. Josh Winckowski followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, fanning four, and Kenley Jansen finished with a perfect ninth, including two more strikeouts, for his fifth save.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (2-2) allowed four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five with two costly walks.

Boston converted those walks into two runs in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Peralta was within a strike of finishing a 1-2-3 inning before walking Enrique Hernandez and Triston Casas. Hoby Milner relieved and pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder punched the tying-RBI single to right, sending Casas to third.

Jarren Duran then lined an RBI single off the glove of third baseman Owen Miller, who knocked the drive down, but had no play.

The Red Sox made it 5-3 in the seventh when Justin Turner walked with two outs and Masataka Yoshida doubled to left center.

Milwaukee had gone up 3-2 with two runs in the fourth. Rowdy Tellez tied the game with his sixth homer, a one-out line drive to right. William Contreras followed with a double and scored on Brice Turang’s single to right, sliding around the tag attempt at home.

Verdugo staked the Red Sox to a 2-0 lead in the third with his third homer. Duran singled to open the inning and advanced on a sacrifice. Verdugo then jerked a 2-1 pitch 366 feet down the right-field line.

Miller hustled up a run in the bottom half to make it 2-1. Miller singled with one out, stole second, and came home on Christian Yelich’s single to left.

–Field Level Media