Andrew Benintendi provided the big blast, Rick Porcello turned in a solid start, while Craig Kimbrel closed out a 5-3 season opener victory for the Boston Red Sox over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Rick Porcello and Gerrit Cole both were pitching great through four innings. Porcello shut down the Pirates in the fifth inning. Cole couldn’t do the same to the Red Sox.
Cole retired Mitch Moreland and Xander Bogaerts to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Jackie Bradley JR ripped a triple down the right field line to start a stretch of six straight hits for the Red Sox.
Pablo Sandoval hustled out an inside single that sent home Bradley. Sandy Leon laid down a perfect bunt that beat the shift. Dustin Pedroia singled home Sandoval, Benintendi drilled a deep home run over the Pirates bullpen to give the Red Sox a 5-0 lead.
Porcello pitched six shutout innings, before allowing three runs in the seventh inning, Matt Barnes allowed two inherited runners to score.
Robby Scott, Heath Hembree, and Craig Kimbrel shut the door in the final two innings.
