BOSTON — Jason Kipnis launched a three-run home run, Corey Kluber held the Boston Red Sox bats in check over seven innings and the Cleveland Indians won 4-2 in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Fenway Park.
Kipnis’ blast was his sixth of the season. Jose Ramirez also had an RBI for Cleveland (22-17), which has scored 47 runs during its five-game winning streak.
The Indians scored 43 during a four-game, home-and-home series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds entering Friday.
Kluber (3-5) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six to stifle a Red Sox lineup that outscored opponents 73-37 during a 6-1 homestand before proceeding to lose three of their next four games.
The 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner had lost back-to-back starts.
Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
Jackie Bradley Jr. stretched his career-high and major league-leading hitting streak to 25 games with a solo home run in the Red Sox’s second — his eighth of the year.
Xander Bogaerts also extended his career-best 14-game hitting streak and had an RBI for Boston (25-17), which has homered in a franchise-record 20 consecutive games.
Clay Buchholz (2-4) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks and struck out three over six innings for the Red Sox.
Bogaerts brought Boston’s first run home with a one-out, RBI groundout in the first inning and Bradley’s streak-stretching blast led off the second.
Cleveland answered with a four-run third, highlighted by Kipnis’ bomb. Francisco Lindor later scored on Jose Ramirez’s sacrifice fly, tagging from third and barely beating Bradley’s on-target heave from left-center to the plate.
NOTES: Boston honored the 2016 Red Sox Hall of Fame inductees — former pitcher Tim Wakefield, former catcher Jason Varitek, president/CEO emeritus Larry Lucchino and the late Ira Flagstead — in a pregame ceremony Friday. The four were enshrined Thursday night at nearby Sheraton Boston Hotel. … Red Sox OF/INF Brock Holt (mild concussion) was placed on the seven-day disabled list. C/LF Blake Swihart was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket and started in left field. … Boston also placed RHP Carson Smith (right elbow soreness) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Noe Ramirez from Pawtucket. … Cleveland RHP Carlos Carrasco (strained left hamstring) threw a 38-pitch simulated game Thursday. … Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (3-1, 3.89 ERA) battles Red Sox RHP Joe Kelly (1-0, 9.35 ERA) on Saturday. Kelly, on the DL since April 20 with a right shoulder impingement, will be activated before the game.
NEW YORK — Steven Matz allowed three hits over seven strong innings Friday and Michael Conforto laced the go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning as the New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 at Citi Field.
The Mets won for only the second time in eight games. The Brewers have alternated wins and losses in their last four contests.
Matz, who missed his last start with a sore forearm, gave up the two runs, didn’t walk anyone and struck out eight in winning his sixth straight start. He has a 1.35 ERA in that stretch, during which he has struck out 42 and walked six.
Nationals 4, Marlins 1
MIAMI — Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Taylor homered and Tanner Roark pitched a strong game to lead Washington over Miami in a battle of NL East rivals.
It was Zimmerman’s fifth homer of the season and the fourth for Taylor. Zimmerman has hit more homers against the Marlins — 28 — than he has against any other team in the majors.
Meanwhile, Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who has averaged 32 homers per season over the past five years, failed to break out of his prolonged slump. He went 0-for-4 with a groundout and three strikeouts. Stanton is now mired in a 4-for-45 slump and is hitting .214 for the season.
Braves 7, Phillies 1
PHILADELPHIA — Freddie Freeman hit a pair of two-run homers and Nick Markakis added his first home run of the season as Atlanta beat Philadelphia.
Freeman, who now has eight homers this year, went deep off Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola in the third inning and reliever Brett Oberholtzer in the ninth. It was Freeman’s seventh career multi-homer game, and his first since June 3 at Arizona.
Atlanta starter Matt Wisler went 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory for Atlanta, which owns the National League’s worst record (11-30).
Pirates 2, Rockies 1
PITTSBURGH — Gerrit Cole made his second successive effective start with the help of some strong Pittsburgh defense and Pittsburgh beat Colorado for the eighth straight time.
David Freese’s RBI single drove in the go-ahead run in the Pirates’ sixth, and Starling Marte made the lead stand up by throwing out Dustin Garneau as he tried to score Charlie Blackmon’s two-out single in the seventh.
The Pirates won for the fifth time in six games and are 14-3 against NL West teams at PNC Park the last two seasons.