Rick Porcello earned his 10th win of the season on Monday night as the Boston Red Sox built a 3-0 lead early, and then hung on for a 4-3 Interleague win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
Porcello also did it with his bat, as the Sox starting pitcher nailed a two out, three run double over the head of Nationals left fielder Juan Soto with the bases loaded in the second inning to make it 3-0 visitors. Solo homers by Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy in the fourth and sixth though got the Nationals back within 3-2. Mookie Betts extended the lead back to a pair with the eventual game winner in the seventh for the Sox with a 430 foot solo homer to left center field. Bryce Harper hit the third solo homer of the game for Washington, as he put one way up into the second deck in right in the eighth inning off Joe Kelly to once again cut the lead to a run at 4-3. Kimbrel picked up his 25th save working 1.1 innings, allowing just a two out walk in the ninth but got Rendon to line out to left field to end it. Brock Holt reached base all four times with three singles and was hit by a pitch, while Jackie Bradley Jr. had a single and walked twice to reach in all three of his plate appearances for 57-29 Boston.
Porcello (10-3), allowed two runs, seven hits, two walks, with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Matt Barnes worked a scoreless seventh. Boston beat one of the best pitchers in the National League as Max Sherzer (10-5) took the loss, allowing three runs, four hits, three walks, with nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
Lefty Brian Johnson (1-2) climbs the hill for Boston in the second game of the series Tuesday night at 6:05. He will be opposed by Nationals right hander Tanner Roark (3-9).
