Red Sox 8, Astros 4
BOSTON -- David Ortiz continued his torrid return to Boston's lineup with two hits and three RBI and Felix Dubront rallied after a shaky start to pick up his third win of the season as the Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 8-4 on Saturday.
Ortiz singled in the first, doubled with the bases loaded in the second and added a sacrifice fly for another RBI in the fourth. He has a 19-game hitting streak dating back to last season, tying his career best, and is hitting .519 with nine RBI in seven games since he was activated last weekend.
All but one Boston starter finished with at least one hit as the Red Sox knocked around Houston's pitching for the third straight game, finishing with 12 hits. Boston has 40 hits through the first three games of the series, which concludes Sunday with the Red Sox trying to complete their second sweep in the opening month.
The Red Sox (17-7) can also tie the club record for wins in April with one more victory.
Jacoby Ellsbury drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded double off Brad Peacock (1-3) as Boston scored four in the second, quickly reversing a 2-0 deficit. Ortiz also doubled with the bases loaded later in the inning for Boston, which padded its lead with a three-run seventh.
One night after going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, the Astros were 1-for-12 in the same category.
Marwin Gonzalez was the only Houston player with more than one hit, finishing 2-for-4.
Dubront (3-0) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out eight. He also walked four, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch, but most of his struggles came in the first when the Astros capitalized on his erratic start and took a 2-0 lead.
Mike Carp was the only Boston starter who failed to get a hit. He was 0-for-3 before Jonny Gomes pinch-hit for him.
Dubront was pulled with two outs in the seventh after allowing Brandon Barnes' infield single. It was just the fourth hit allowed by Dubront in the game but the second of the inning as the Astros cut Boston's lead to 5-3. Gonzalez led off the seventh with a single, went to second on a wild pitch and stole third. He scored when Jose Altuve grounded out to short.
Peacock pitched a scoreless first in his first start at Fenway Park, then was tagged in the second. He walked four and allowed three doubles in the inning, two of which came with the bases loaded.
Ellsbury's double to center drove in a pair of runs and tied it at 2-all, then with the bases loaded once again, after a walk to Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz hit a line drive down the left-field line to drive in two more.
Dubront's control was off in the first as the Astros took a 2-0 lead. The only hit he allowed was Altuve's leadoff single, but he hit the next batter and walked two straight to send in the first run. Houston added a sacrifice fly and led 2-0. Dubront also had a wild pitch in addition to the three walks.
NOTES: RHP John Lackey is expected to start for Boston in the series finale Sunday after a stint on the disabled list with a sore right biceps. Bud Norris (3-2) is scheduled to start for the Astros. ... Houston sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning, then Boston topped that in the second by batting around. ... The Astros' 2-0 lead after the first was their first in three games of the series. ... Houston manager Bo Porter went with an entirely right-handed lineup to face the Boston lefty Dubront. ... Peacock threw 90 pitches before being pulled when Ortiz came to bat with a runner on third and one out in the fourth. ... Red Sox OF Shane Victorino missed his third straight game because of stiffness in his lower back.
