PHILADELPHIA – The Boston Red Sox, a team that plays in a cozy, hitter-friendly park, sure know about games like this.
Domonic Brown hit two homers, Erik Kratz and Ryan Howard also had solo shots to back Kyle Kendrick, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Red Sox 4-3 on Wednesday night.
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Though balls were flying out of Citizens Bank Park on a hot night, two of Philadelphia’s homers barely reached the seats.
“Any time the ball goes in the air in this park, you hold your breath,” Red Sox Manager John Farrell said. “When it’s warm here, the park is even smaller.”
Daniel Nava hit a solo shot for AL East-leading Boston, which got a third straight quality start from John Lackey (3-5), who gave up six hits and three runs in six innings, and raised his ERA to 2.96.
“I just had to keep making pitches and hope our guys hit a couple out,” Lackey said.
The Red Sox got within a run in the ninth on Jacoby Ellsbury’s RBI single off Jonathan Papelbon. But with runners on second and third, Papelbon retired Nava on a grounder to first to end it.
“A real hard-fought game,” Farrell said. “The opportunities were there. They made pitches with men on base.”
David Ortiz flied to right pinch-hitting in the ninth with a chance to tie it.
“I was ready,” he said. “It was a good pitch, up and in.”
The Red Sox went up 1-0 in the first on Dustin Pedroia’s sacrifice fly after Ellsbury led off with a triple. Pedroia acknowledged before the game that he’s been playing despite sustaining a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb diving into first base in the season opener.
“I didn’t expect this to come out,” Pedroia said. “As players here, we all want our medical stuff to stay private. I kind of feel uncomfortable talking about it.”
Pedroia is hitting .332 and has no errors.
Kendrick (5-3) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, helping the Phillies win their second straight against the Red Sox to get within one game of .500. They haven’t had an even record since they were 6-6.
Brown hit his fourth homer in three nights and leads the Phillies with 13, including an NL-high 10 in May.
“I’m seeing it pretty well,” Brown said. “I’m getting good pitches to hit. After the first at-bat I swung at a bad pitch; I told myself to wait for one to handle.”
Antonio Bastardo pitched the seventh, Mike Adams struck out two in a perfect eighth and Papelbon finished for his 11th save in 11 tries, and second straight against his former team.
NOTES: The Red Sox recalled outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. from Triple-A Pawtucket to take right-hander Alex Wilson’s roster spot.
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