NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Monasterio and Masataka Yoshida hit two-run homers as the surging Boston Red Sox played after a night of normal rest and extended their winning streak to eight games with a 4-0 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday.
Boston is on its longest winning streak since taking 10 in a row from July 4-13 last year. The Red Sox have won 13 of 15 and 16 of 21.
The Red Sox arrived late for Friday's series opener after flight trouble stranded
them in Chicago for nearly 24 hours. Boston poked fun at the ordeal by sporting white T-shirts that read “Show and Go Airlines, See You at 4:15."
Following a leadoff walk to Caleb Durbin in the fourth, Monasterio gave put the Red Sox ahead by hitting a fastball from Freddy Peralta (5-8) into the left-field seats. Durbin singled off Tobias Myers starting the righth and Yoshida lifted a 1-0 cutter into the right-field seats.
Eduardo Rivera started with 3 1/3 hitless innings in his first big league start, allowing Jorge Polanco's single on his final pitch.
Greg Weissert and Jovani Moran (2-2) combined to pitch the next 2 2/3 innings and Justin Slaten escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth with a called third strike on rookie A.J. Ewing, who lost an ABS challenge.
Danny Coulombe ended the eighth on Polanco's double-play grounder and finished Boston's AL-leading ninth shutout.
Peralta allowed two runs, three hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings. He is 0-3 with a 7.59 ERA in his last five starts.
New York (40-56) went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position for the second straight day. They Mets were blanked for the ninth time and held to three hits or fewer for the eighth time.
LHP Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14 ERA) starts for Boston Sunday. Rookie RHP Zach Thornton (0-1, 4.35) will likely pitch behind an opener for the Mets.
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