BOSTON – Cody Ross hit two homers and drove in five runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 9-4 Sunday.
Boston completed interleague play with a winning record for the eighth straight season (11-7).
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Jason Heyward continued his torrid June for the Braves, hitting a solo homer among his three hits.
Atlanta, which lost for the ninth time in 13 games, closed interleague play 8-10. The Braves lost two of three to the Red Sox after taking two of three against the Yankees in New York.
Aaron Cook (1-1), making just his second start with the Red Sox and first since going on the disabled list May 6 after sustaining a cut on his left knee covering home plate, gave up three runs — two earned — six hits and didn’t walk or strike out anyone in five innings.
Braves starter Mike Minor (3-6) gave up three homers and allowed seven runs — four earned — in 42/3 innings.
Adrian Gonzalez added a solo homer for Boston, which won six of seven series against NL opponents.
Cook filled-in for Clay Buchholz, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a “gastrointestinal issue.”
The Red Sox jumped ahead with a four-run fourth against Minor. After breezing through the first three innings allowing just a pair of singles, Minor walked the first two batters in the inning. Ross then homered into the first row of seats above the Green Monster, making it 3-0. One pitch later, Gonzalez sliced a flyball into the Monster seats to make it 4-0.
The Braves capitalized on Cook’s throwing error for a run during a three-run fifth. Eric Hinske had a two-run double into the center field triangle after Heyward and Andrelton Simmons singled. Juan Francisco then bounced back to the mound and Cook had Hinske off the bag, but threw widely past third to allow him to score to make it 4-3. Cook retired the next three batters, finishing his work.
In the fifth, Boston scored three unearned runs off Minor when Will Middlebrooks had a sacrifice fly and Ross followed with a two-run homer completely out of Fenway Park over the Monster, making it 7-3. Simmons had a throwing error on Kelly Shoppach’s grounder to open the inning when he fired the ball into the Red Sox dugout.
Heyward homered off Matt Albers in the sixth.
NOTES: Bobby Valentine gave struggling DH David Ortiz (0 for 11 last three games) a day off. With Ortiz out, hot rookie Middlebrooks moved to DH and Kevin Youkilis was back at third. Youkilis was given a lengthy ovation when he came to plate the first time.
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