Tyler O’Neill led a four-homer barrage with two solo shots, right-hander Nick Pivetta pitched seven innings and the visiting Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Monday.
Rafael Devers and Ceddanne Rafaela also stroked solo homers for Boston in the opener of the three-game series.
Pivetta (4-4) allowed three runs, nine hits and one walk while striking out four as the Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games.
Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-6) gave up five runs and seven hits while striking out seven and walking none in four innings.
Toronto’s Justin Turner and Davis Schneider hit solo homers.
Boston took a 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back two-out homers. O’Neill launched a drive to left and Devers hit his 14th of the season on a blast to left-center.
Toronto scored in the second. Justin Turner walked, took third on George Springer’s single and scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s sacrifice fly to center.
Rafaela led off the third with his eighth home of the season, a shot to left. Two outs later, O’Neill hit his 14th of the season, to center.
Boston scored again in the fourth. Connor Wong led off with a single to extend his hit streak to 10 games. He took second on Romy Gonzalez’s single and scored on Bobby Dalbec’s single to center.
Turner hit his fifth home run of the season, a blast to left-center, with one out in the sixth.
In the Boston seventh, Rafaela singled with one out against Tim Mayza, took second on Jarren Duran’s single and scored on Rob Refsnyder’s double into the right field corner. Devers hit a sacrifice fly to center to extend the lead to 7-2.
Schneider hit his ninth home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the inning.
Boston’s Brad Keller pitched a clean eighth inning but allowed a two-out single and a walk in the ninth before Kenley Jansen got the final out for his 12th save.
Boston’s David Hamilton (left side discomfort) left in the fourth inning.
Toronto’s Bo Bichette (calf) was out for the third straight game.
Toronto put right-hander Yimi Garcia (right elbow neuritis) on the injured list Monday and promoted left-hander Brandon Eisert, who made his major league debut with two scoreless innings.
Boston reinstated Gonzalez (hamstring) from the IL on Monday and optioned infielder Jamie Westbrook to Triple-A Worcester.
–Field Level Media
