The Boston Red Sox snapped their losing streak and handed the Pittsburgh Pirates their fourth consecutive defeat on Friday night, cruising to an 8-1 victory at PNC Park.
Brayan Bello was dominant on the mound for Boston, allowing just one hit in six innings of work. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out seven batters and walked two, retiring the last 11 batters he faced.
The Red Sox offense provided plenty of support for Bello, with Rob Refsnyder leading the way with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Wilyer Abreu, Triston Casas, and Ceddanne Rafaela also went deep for Boston, while Abreu finished with three hits and Refsnyder and Connor Wong each had two.
Quinn Priester, the Pirates’ 2019 first-round pick, struggled in his first big league start of the season. The 22-year-old right-hander gave up solo home runs to Abreu and Casas in the first inning and allowed five runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings.
The Pirates have cooled off after a hot start, dropping seven of their last nine games. The team is now looking to 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes to provide a boost, but the right-hander is not expected to be called up anytime soon.
The Red Sox, who also started the season strong, have been plagued by injuries but have received solid performances from their starting rotation. Boston starters have posted a 1.71 ERA through 21 games, with 114 strikeouts against 27 walks.
