BOSTON — Ceddanne Rafaela homered and drove in seven runs, Tyler O’Neill also homered and the Boston Red Sox routed the Chicago Cubs 17-0 on Saturday.
The Red Sox had their best home game of the season in runs, in addition to their 21 hits. Boston, which lost its first 8 of 11 games at Fenway Park this season, ended a two-game losing streak and won for the fifth time in eight games.
Rafaela, 23, played shortstop and batted ninth to finish 4-4. Masataka Yoshida made his first start since April 20 and finished 5-4. Bobby Dalbec, who came into the game with a .093 batting average, had two hits and three RBIs — including a run-scoring hit in a six-run fifth inning — to score twice.
Six Red Sox players had at least six hits.
Red Sox starter Josh Winckowski worked three scoreless innings before leaving the job to the bullpen.
For the Red Sox, the Dominicans Rafael Devers 4-1, Pablo Reyes 2-0, Emmanuel Valdez 2-1. Venezuelan Wilyer Abreu was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and one RBI.
