MIAMI — Ceddanne Rafaela tripled, doubled and drove in three runs, Brayan Bello limited Miami to a run over 6 2/3 innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Marlins 7-2 on Wednesday night.
Rafael Devers and Masataka Yoshida each had two hits and two RBIs to help the Red Sox win their third straight after a three-game slide.
“We’re getting better as a team, as a whole,” Devers said. “We’re playing better defence. We’re running the bases aggressively. Those are things that are helping us to be where we are.”
In his first start since June 25, Bello (8-5) gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out seven. The right-hander’s previous turn was skipped to help him overcome a difficult stretch, when he dropped three of four decisions.
“It feels good to be able to have a successful start,” Bello said. “All the work that we did paid off,”
Bello settled down after allowing three hits to Miami’s first four batters. He scattered four singles for the remainder of his outing.
“I kept attacking the batters — that was the biggest adjustment,” Bello said. “That’s one of the things I haven’t done since the beginning of the year.”
Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran and left fielder Rob Refsnyder robbed Miami’s Josh Bell of extra-base hits with standout defensive plays. Duran ran and tracked down Bell’s drive at the wall in the sixth, and Refsnyder dove to catch a line drive in the eighth.
Boston capitalized on an ineffective outing by Miami starter Trevor Rogers (1-9) with five hits and three walks through the first three innings. Run-scoring singles from Devers and Yoshida in the third erased an early deficit and put Boston ahead 2-1.
“We did a good job putting up long at-bats,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “To get to the bullpen so early, that’s what we try to do. We grind it today.”
Yoshida’s RBI groundout in the seventh made it 3-1. The Red Sox broke it open on Devers’ run-scoring triple and Rafaela’s three-run double in the ninth. It was Devers’ fourth triple of the season and 11th of his career.
“I don’t really like those, I weigh over 200 pounds and for me to run from home to third base it gets me a little tired,” Devers said about the triples. “Right now I’m going straight to bed.”
Rogers was lifted after three innings and 84 pitches, ending his string of three consecutive starts of at least six innings.
“I actually thought it was maybe his best stuff of the year,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Unfortunately, the line definitely doesn’t show that. The walks hurt him, no doubt.”
The Marlins struck quickly against Bello with Jesús Sánchez’s RBI single in the first.
Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward threw the ceremonial first pitch before the game. Ward transferred to Miami after two successful seasons at Washington State, where he passed for 6,966 yards and 48 touchdowns.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: RHP Liam Hendriks (elbow surgery) threw the first of three scheduled bullpen sessions Wednesday. Cora said Hendriks threw only fastballs. Hendriks, who is travelling with the club, will throw Friday and Sunday in New York.
Marlins: Optioned RHP Valente Bellozo to Jacksonville and recalled Anthony Maldonado from the Triple-A club. … OF Nick Gordon (illness) and INF Otto López (back) missed their second consecutive games.
UP NEXT
RHP Nick Pivetta (4-5, 4.52) will start the series finale for the Red Sox on Thursday, The Marlins will go with RHP Kyle Tyler (3.38).