Jarren Duran hit a three-run home run and Jake Bennett pitched well in his major league debut to propel the Boston Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Houston Astros in the opener of their three-games series Friday night.
Bennett, who was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Friday to start in place of Garrett Crochet, allowed one run on five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Crochet was placed on the injured list Wednesday with shoulder inflammation.
Boston received four scoreless innings from four relievers after Bennett (1-0) was pulled. Carlos Correa doubled against Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth, but Chapman got Yordan Alvarez to ground out to second to end the game. Chapman earned his sixth save.
The victory ended Boston’s two-game losing streak, and its three-game home losing streak.
Correa had three hits, including his third home run of the season. Isaac Paredes and Yainer Diaz each had two hits for the Astros.
Houston starter Mike Burrows (1-4) took the loss. He surrendered three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Roman Anthony collected three of Boston’s 10 hits. Anthony hit a double and singled twice. Trevor Story was 2-for-4, and Marcelo Mayer collected a single to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
The Astros grabbed a 1-0 lead on Correa’s solo home run in the top of the third.
Boston took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half of the third. After Carlos Narvaez walked and Caleb Durbin singled, Duran drove in both runners when he hit his second home run of the season.
Houston had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth, but Garrett Whitlock retired Cam Smith on a pop-up to first base.
The loss dropped Houston’s road record to 4-13.
