The Boston Red Sox began their six-game road trip with an 8-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday night.
With the win, the Red Sox improved to 11-10, and the Pirates fell to 11-9.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Brayan Bello was not only brilliant on the mound for the Red Sox, but he also got the run support from the make-shift lineup manager Alex Cora put together amid several Boston injuries.
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The 24-year-old righty tossed six scoreless innings, holding the Pirates to one hit and striking out seven. He threw 62.5% of his pitches for strikes (60-of-96 pitches) and retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Along with the gem of a game Bello pitched, the Red Sox launched four home runs from Wilyer Abreu, Triston Casas, Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Abreu hit his first home run of the season in the top of the first inning to give the Red Sox the early 1-0 lead. The outfielder finished the night 3-for-5 from the plate.
— Refsnyder knocked in two runs with his first round-tripper of the season in the fifth inning.
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— Rafaela hit his first home run of the season and added a second RBI when his fielder’s choice in the second inning allowed Bobby Dalbec to score from third.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox continue their four-game series with the Pirates on Saturday afternoon. First pitch from PNC Park is slated for 4:05 p.m. ET. You can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
