CINCINNATI — Jeimer Candelario hit a pair of home runs, Andrew Abbott set a season-high 10 strikeouts and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Friday in the opener of an interleague series.
Candelario hit solo homers off Kutter Crawford (3-7) in the first and third innings. Jonathan India also punished the Red Sox starter in the second inning and the Reds scored two more on an error by reliever Cam Booser in the seventh to end Boston’s five-game winning streak.
Abbott (6-6) allowed two runs, solo homers by Jarren Duran and Connor Wong, plus four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed a single by Romy González to start the sixth and then fanned Tyler O’Neill and Rafael Devers before turning over to Fernando Cruz, who struck out Wong to end the inning.
Sam Moll and Nick Martinez followed, each with scoreless innings, and Puerto Rican Alexis Diaz worked the ninth for his 17th save.
Crawford allowed five runs and five hits in just over six and a third innings.
Home runs by Duran and Wong extended their respective hitting streaks to 11 games, the longest of either of their careers.
For the Red Sox, Dominican Enmanuel Valdez went 1 for 3.
For the Reds, Dominican Santiago Espinal went 1 for 4 with one run scored.
, Abbott (10 K) lead the Reds’ victory against Boston){kind=link}