BOSTON (AP) — James Woods belted a three-run homer for his 22nd of the season, Andrés Chaparro and Nasim Nuñez each hit their first and the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox 10-2 on Wednesday afternoon at steamy Fenway Park to take the series.
Chaparro’s was a two-run shot, and Luis García Jr. added a pinch-hit, two-run single as the Nationals rebounded to close a 4-2 trip after losing the series opener on Monday.
Boston closed a 5-2 homestand
after sweeping a four-game series against the Yankees.
The temperature was 95 degrees Fahrenheit on the game’s first pitch. Most of the lower bowl and bleacher seats in the sun were empty, except for a large “Tarps Off” group in right, by the eighth inning.
The game didn’t have any carryover from Tuesday, when the dugouts and bullpens emptied after Nationals starter Cade Cavalli yelled ‘’Sit down, boy’’ at Boston’s Willson Contreras after he struck him out. Cavalli apologized before the game Wednesday.
Woods homered just over the Green Monster, making it 10-0 in the seventh.
Andrew Alvarez (2-1) worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits, after opener Brad Lord got the first seven outs.
Chaparro’s drive into the Monster seats made it 2-0 in the first. Nuñez’s shot – also into the Monster seats off Payton Tolle (4-6) – sparked a five-run fourth inning.
Coming off a splendid start in his previous outing when he retired the first 16 batters in a victory over the Yankees, Tolle was tagged for six runs and seven hits in three-plus innings.
Nationals: LHP Foster Griffin (8-2, 2.92 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday when they open a three-game home series against Pittsburgh.
Red Sox: LHP Jake Bennett (2-3, 3.27) is in line to start Friday’s series opener at the Los Angeles Angels against RHP Reid Detmers (3-5, 3.88).
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