The Houston Astros capped their first-ever series sweep at Fenway Park with a 7-4 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
Jeremy Pena hit a double and a triple, scored two runs and drove in another to pace Houston, which scored three runs in both the second and third innings, added another in the fourth and held on for its fifth consecutive victory.
Michael Brantley had two hits, two RBIs and a run, while Alex Bregman and Martin Maldonado each added two hits and an RBI.
Astros starter Framber Valdez (10-9) struck out five across six innings of five-hit ball. He allowed four runs (two earned).
Ryan Pressly threw a scoreless ninth to notch his 29th save.
Boston’s Triston Casas went 3-for-4 with a double and a run. Adam Duvall extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a double of his own.
Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford (6-7) was tagged for six runs on seven hits across 2 2/3 innings.
Boston has lost five of its last six games.
Houston’s first rally began with one out in the second when Chas McCormick singled to left and Brantley followed with a ground-rule double.
After Jon Singleton’s groundout got the Astros on the board, Pena followed with an RBI double and Maldonado added a run-scoring single to make it 3-0.
Jose Altuve and Bregman led off the third with back-to-back singles before McCormick’s RBI groundout and Brantley’s two-run single allowed Houston to double its lead to 6-0.
In the fourth, Pena ripped a triple to deep center and scored on Bregman’s double high off the Green Monster.
Valdez held Boston hitless until Justin Turner’s single with one out in the fourth.
Luis Urias’ grounder down the third base line in the sixth marked Boston’s second hit and sparked a big inning. Urias moved to third on a Casas double and scored when Connor Wong reached on a throwing error.
Ceddanne Rafaela’s double off the Monster delivered his first career RBI before Turner and Rafael Devers drove in runs on groundouts.
Astros reliever Kendall Graveman exited in the seventh inning with an apparent back injury.
—Field Level Media
