Merrill Kelly strikes out 10 in Diamondbacks' 4-2 win over Red Sox
PHOENIX - Merrill Kelly struck out 10 while pitching effectively into the seventh inning and Corbin Carroll hit a two-run homer, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Sunday.
Carroll hit a two-run homer off Tanner Houck (3-4) in the first. Geraldo Perdomo added a solo shot in the second to stake Kelly to a 4-0 lead.
Kelly (6-3) matched a career high by striking out six batters looking, one short of the Diamondbacks' record. He allowed a run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Justin Turner hit a solo homer for Boston in the eighth inning against Kyle Nelson, but Miguel Castro worked around an infield single in the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
Arizona had three hits in a 2-1 loss to Boston on Saturday night, but it got to Houck right at the start.
Ketel Marte hit a hard single to extend his on-base streak to 27 games - tied for third-longest in Arizona history - in the first inning and Carroll followed with his eighth homer. Josh Rojas added a run-scoring single for Arizona's fifth straight hit, and Perdomo made it 4-0 with a leadoff drive in the second.
Houck retired the next nine batters before being replaced by Joely Rodriguez to open the fifth. Houck allowed four runs and four hits.
Kelly has been sharp since a shaky start to the season, going 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA in his previous five starts.
The right-hander was effective against Boston despite running up his pitch count. He struck out four of six batters in one early stretch, twice after falling behind 3-0, and struck out four of five before being replaced by Andrew Chafin with two on in the seventh.
Alex Verdugo hit a run-scoring single off Chafin to make it 4-1 before the left-hander struck out Rafael Devers to end the inning.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Devers went 0 for 5 after missing the previous two games with a calf injury.
Diamondbacks: Rojas was checked on by a trainer after a hard slide into second in the second inning, but remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Boston gets a day off before RHP Brayan Bello (3-2, 4.08 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series against Cincinnati.
Diamondbacks: RHP Rhyne Nelson (1-2, 5.02 ERA) will make his first career start against Colorado in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.