BOSTON– Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run, Jarren Duran hit a solo shot and the Boston Red Sox ended the San Diego Padres’ five-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.
The Red Sox, who lost 20-3 in the first two games of the series, suffered a three-game skid.
Jackson Merrill had three hits for the Padres, and Ha-Seong Kim added an RBI double. San Diego has won nine of its last 10 games.
Making his first start since being recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday, Boston right-hander Josh Winckowski (2-1) gave up four hits in five scoreless innings.
“I kind of discovered something a little bit below Triple-A,” he said. “I was throwing changeups that were literally like a ball on the ground and almost never, ever hitting it, so we started throwing it in the zone all the time and it turned into a high-percentage hit pitch for me and I. I got a lot of ground balls.”
Kenley Jansen, the fourth reliever, got the final three outs for his 16th save this season and 436th of his career.
Padres starter Matt Waldron (5-7) gave up four runs, three earned, in 4 1/3 innings, snapping his season-high NL streak of nine consecutive starts allowing two or fewer runs.
Waldron, the only pitcher to throw a knuckleball in the majors this year, mixed it with his fastball and sweeper at Fenway Park, where former Red Sox right-hander Tim Wakefield threw the pitch during his 17-year career in the majors. Boston.
Wakefield died last October, aged 57, after a battle with brain cancer. Waldron, who was inspired as a child by Wakefield to learn the knuckleball, threw for his first pitch on Sunday.
“I know Wakefield nailed it,” said an emotional Waldron. “You could feel it. Was difficult. At the end of the day, I have to do a job and it just didn’t happen.”
Devers hit a fastball into the second row of Monster seats for his 18th home run, making it 2-0 in the first.
“Some knuckleballs and some fastballs they were able to hit some barrels,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “But overall, I thought he was good. He generally improves as the game progresses. …They had a good plan and they didn’t lose it.”
In the third, Wilyer Abreu singled with two outs, advanced to third on a single and scored when catcher Kyle Higashioka couldn’t handle Waldron’s knuckleball for a pass, the first of two.
Duran’s ninth home run of the season came off a knuckleball and around the Pesky Pole in right field to make it 4-0 in the fifth.
“I’m so glad he threw the first pitch of the game so I could see what it was like,” Duran said. “This thing is unpleasant. The game plan for me was to just, honestly, see it above my eyes, because if it’s up there, I hope it doesn’t move as much as if it was down below.
The last innings were played under dark skies, with thunder sometimes rumbling in the distance, with lightning sparking a reaction from the crowd.
Seconds after the lightning strike, San Diego’s Manny Machado fell to scoreless fifth, something the Red Sox were happy to see after giving up nine runs in that inning on Friday and six on Saturday.
It was the first time since 2013 that the clubs met at Fenway.
NEXT
Padres: Open a three-game series at Texas on Tuesday. San Diego had not announced a starter. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 3.45 ERA) is set to pitch for the Rangers.
Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (3-7, 3.59) is in line to start Tuesday in the first of three games against Miami. RHP Valente Bellozo (0-0, 0.00) is in the lineup for the Marlins.
___
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
