Pirates finish sweep of Red Sox behind Keller and Santana
BOSTON – Mitch Keller struck out seven, Carlos Santana homered and Bryan Reynolds knocked in his seventh run of the season as the Pittsburgh Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with a 4-1 win Wednesday.
Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in a run with a perfectly-placed bunt in the sixth and Santana added an RBI double during a two-run seventh that put the Pirates up 4-0.
Pittsburgh improved to 4-2 on a cold, gray and blustery afternoon at Fenway Park, where the game-time temperature was 41 degrees. The Red Sox fell to 2-4.
Keller (1-0) braved short sleeves despite the conditions and held Boston to one run on four hits, striking out seven and walking two. He carried a shutout into the seventh, when Triston Casas doubled with two out and scored on a single by Christian Arroyo.
Boston’s Corey Kluber (0-1) held the Pirates to one run on three hits over five innings. The only run charged to Kluber was in the fourth, when Santana pounced on an inside cutter and drove it out to right for his first homer of the season, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
John Schreiber started the sixth for Boston and faced Reynolds, who had homered in three straight games. He lined Schreiber’s first pitch for a double to left. Reynolds took third on an infield single by Andrew McCutchen and scored easily when Hayes dropped a bunt just a few feet inside the first-base line and ran it out for an infield hit.
FURTHER REVIEW
Keller and the Pirates had to weather a brief scare when a drive to right by pinch-hitter Reese McGuire with two on was initially called a home run, which would have tied it. The umpires briefly met and concluded it was foul, which was confirmed on a video review.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: SS Oneil Cruz needed a few minutes with a trainer after getting tangled up with Rafael Devers while sliding into third on a throwing error in the seventh. Cruz remained in the game through the rest of the top half of the inning, but was replaced at short by Radolfo Castro when Boston came to bat.
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (right elbow inflammation) threw 72 pitches Wednesday in a rehab start in Fort Meyers, Florida, and reported no issues, the Red Sox said.
UP NEXT Pirates: After a day off Thursday, Pittsburgh plays its home opener Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Veteran LHP Rich Hill (0-1, 5.40 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 3.60).
Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (0-0, 21.00 ERA) gets his second start of the season as Boston opens a three-game series at Detroit on Thursday afternoon against Tigers RHP Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 27.00). Sale lasted only three innings in his season debut Saturday, allowing seven runs on seven hits against Baltimore.
Pirates finish sweep of Red Sox behind Keller and Santana originally appeared on NBCSports.com
