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 hits, boosting the team’s total of 14. Jarren Duran and Tyler O’Neill each had a pair of hits while combining for five RBIs.
Just after the Phillies climbed within 4-3, the Red Sox posted their second four-run spot in the fourth. O’Neill highlighted the second large frame with a three-run homer off an advertisement above the Green Monster seats.
Both of Duran’s hits were doubles.
The offense provided plenty of support for starter Tanner Houck (7-5), who completed six innings of three-run ball while scattering eight hits and striking out five with no walks.
Brad Keller was the only reliever Boston needed, allowing just two hits and a walk over three shutout innings for his first save.
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 he was charged with eight runs on 11 hits across 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 Enmanuel Valdez and Reese McGuire plated the opening run. McGuire’s liner deep into the right field corner made it 1-0, and he scored on Dominic Smith’s single to center.
Another set of consecutive doubles doubled the Boston lead again, as Ceddanne Rafaela and Duran traded places. The latter of those hits by Duran rolled into right, scoring two to make it a 4-0 game.
After the starting pitchers traded zeroes, the Phillies made it a game again on one swing of the bat in the fourth. Two singles and a hit batsman loaded the bases, and Schwarber continued his hot series with a bases-clearing double triple to deep center with two outs.
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 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 third to give Boston a two-run cushion.
Hamilton proceeded to swipe second base before O’Neil provided the big blow in the form of a thrree-run homer, ballooning the lead to 8-3.
Valdez capped Boston’s scoring by smashing a two-out RBI double in the sixth, bringing Rafael Devers home following a one-out walk.