Ji Hwan Bae's 1st career homer helps Pirates top Red Sox 4-1
Ji Hwan Bae hit his first career homer, Bryan Reynolds went deep for the third time in two games, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Roansy Contreras (1-0) held the Red Sox to three hits over 5 2/3 innings. He retired 13 straight after giving up a run in the first. David Bednar got the final three outs for his third save.
"I always tend to lose my stuff, so I'm just going to send it back to Korea," Bae said through a translator of his first home run ball.
Reynolds' drive off Nick Pivetta (0-1) went into Boston's bullpen and made it 3-1 in the third. He added an RBI single in the seventh.
The Red Sox, who scored at least six runs in each of their first four games, managed just one on Masataka Yoshida's first-inning groundout.
"Yesterday they changed the script and started throwing more breaking balls against us," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "Today, they did the same thing. Just make adjustments and keep putting up good at-bats and we'll be OK."
Canaan Smith-Njigba reached on McGuire's passed ball following his swinging strikeout with two outs in the second. Bae then hit Pivetta's 95-mph fastball barely over the Green Monster.
"When I saw the left fielder running towards it, I thought maybe he's going to catch it," Bae said. "In my mind I was hoping it was going to go (over)."
Pivetta gave up three runs, one earned, with six strikeouts in five innings.
"It was good, a little mix of everything," Pivetta said of his start. "A couple of home runs. ... That's about it."
Bae, who started at second base and moved to center in the eighth, robbed Rafael Devers of an extra-base hit when he made a leaping grab against the Green Monster.
"All around," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Bae's night. "Offensively, defensively, on the bases. The plays he made defensively and the catch he made late. It was a great catch. Not ever having played center field in Fenway (Park), it's not easy."
HAVE A SNACK
Pirates first baseman Carlos Santana headed toward the stands to get a foul ball that landed in the seats. Before he returned to his position, he ate some popcorn a fan handed him through the net.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: Placed C Austin Hedges on the seven-day concussion injured list and selected catcher Tyler Heineman from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Red Sox: Cora said RHP Brayan Bello (right elbow inflammation) and LHP James Paxton (strained right hamstring) both had their rehab work moved to their spring training complex.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (0-0, 7.71 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday afternoon's series finale.
Red Sox: Veteran RHP Corey Kluber (0-1, 13.50) is set to go after getting roughed up for five runs over 3 1/3 innings in their opener against Baltimore. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports