BOSTON (AP) Patrick Corbin allowed one run in five innings for his first victory of the season, Trey Lipscomb had a two-run single and the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Friday night.
Corbin (1-3) allowed seven hits and a walk and had four strikeouts in lowering his ERA from 6.45 to 5.91. He allowed runners to reach in four of five innings, helped in the first when right fielder Victor Robles threw out a runner at home for the final out.
“Got into a good rhythm as the game went on,” Corbin said. “I thought we used all our pitches well … pitched them in and pitched them away. Good to get through five and we tack on a few runs late to put the game out of reach.”
Robles and Eddie Rosario each had two hits to help the Nationals move over .500 for the second time this season at 19-18. Robles made his first start on Friday after getting activated off the injured list earlier in the week.
“I felt great and felt even better after I was able to contribute to the team,” said Robles, who made a nice running catch and crashed into the wall down the right-field line in the sixth inning.
Garrett Cooper doubled in Boston’s lone run. Red Sox starter Tanner Houck (3-4) ran into two-out trouble on two occasions, but delivered seven innings of three-run ball. The right-hander struck out four and threw 65 of his 95 pitches for strikes.
Boston stranded 11 and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox have lost six of seven to drop to 19-19.
“We didn’t get the big hit,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “The way you come out of this is keep putting together good at-bats and have traffic. At one point, we’re going to get the big hit and get in that groove. It didn’t happen tonight. Just keep working and hope tomorrow is the day.”
Washington had four straight two-out hits in the second inning. Lipscomb had the two-run single that scored Keilbert Ruiz and Eddie Rosario. Lipscomb tried to score on Robles’ hit, but was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Jarren Duran.
“I always say that if we come out and jump on the lead early, it gets our pitchers to relax a little bit," Washington manager Dave Martinez said. "We did that and (Corbin) was able to settle in and give us what we needed.”
The Nationals added a run in the fourth, with Luis Garcia doubling with two outs and scoring on a single by Joey Meneses. Washington scored two more runs in the ninth off Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen.
Boston’s lone run against Corbin came in the fourth inning. With two down and Connor Wong on first base, Cooper sent a shot that scraped off the Green Monster and rattled around enough in the outfield to allow Wong to score standing up.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Friday. All the pitches were fastballs. Gray has been on the IL since April 9 with a right elbow/forearm flexor strain. … 1B Joey Gallo was scheduled to appear in his second straight rehab game for Triple-A Rochester but Friday’s game was rained out. On Thursday, Gallo went 2 fo -5 with a three-run home run. He’s been on the IL since April 26 with a left shoulder sprain.
Red Sox: Before the game, Cora said that surgery has been ruled out for OF Masataka Yoshida, though it will be a while before he picks up a bat. Yoshida has been out since April 29 with a left thumb strain. “At least at one point, we know he’ll be available and able to help us,” Cora said. … RHP Garrett Whitlock (left oblique strain) threw to live hitters Friday. “We’ll see how he feels (Saturday), then we decide if he goes on a rehab assignment next week,” Cora said.
UP NEXT
Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.72) was set to face Red Sox RHP Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.74) on Saturday in the second game of the three-game series.
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