BOSTON

Rick Porcello could finally feel good about a start.

Porcello held Miami to two runs in six innings to snap a career-worst, seven-game losing streak, David Ortiz hit a two-run homer and the surging Boston Red Sox won their season-high fourth straight, 6-3 over the Marlins on Wednesday night.

“It felt great,” Porcello said. “Contribute in a positive way, you know, keep our streak going.”

Porcello (5-9) gave up eight hits, struck out four and walked one, halting a stretch that included giving up seven runs in two innings in his previous start.

The 26-year-old right-hander, acquired from Detroit during the offseason, was projected to be a top-of-therotation starter. The club even signed him to a four-year, $82.5 million extension in early April, but he was winless since May 16.

“A lift for Rick, for sure, and a start we needed out of him,” manager John Farrell said. “He certainly helped himself with a couple of key defensive plays, particularly the final out of the fourth inning.”

The victory completed a two-game sweep of the interleague series. It was Boston’s fourth consecutive series victory, also a season high.

Michael Morse hit a solo homer for the Marlins, who lost their fourth straight.

The Marlins made three errors, leading to five unearned runs.

“Just sloppy,” manager Dan Jennings said. “It’s really uncharacteristic of who we’ve been. We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball. There’s no excuse for that.”

Koji Uehara got the final three outs for his 21st save, collecting one for the third straight game.

Tom Koehler (7-5) was charged with five runs — one earned — on five hits in six innings.

“Any time you give them extra outs, you really have to bear down and try to put up a zero,” he said. “I wasn’t able to do that.”

The Red Sox capitalized on Koehler’s throwing error to take a 4-0 lead with four unearned runs in the third. With a runner on first, Koehler fired Mookie Betts’ comebacker wide of first, sending runners to second and third. Boston made it 2-0 on Brock Holt’s run-scoring grounder and Xander Bogaerts’ RBI single before Ortiz hit his homer into the Green Monster seats.

In the fourth, the Marlins had consecutive RBI singles by J.T. Realmuto and Cole Gillespie. Porcello made a nice play on Christian Yelich’s grounder, lunging to his right before throwing to first to leave the bases loaded.

Ortiz doubled leading off the sixth and scored on Pablo Sandoval’s doubleplay grounder.

Alejandro De Aza stole third and scored on catcher Realmuto’s throwing error. Morse homered over Boston’s bullpen.

Trainer’s room

Marlins: 1B Jeff Baker, who left Tuesday’s loss with oblique pain, was out of the lineup. Justin Bour started at first and went 1 for 4.

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia, on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring, is eligible to return for Friday’s opener of a series at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees, but Farrell said the club hadn’t decided yet. “The work continues to increase, the volume, the intensity — all baseballrelated stuff,” Farrell said. “Pedey’s responded well. He’s going to be on the field when he’s first ready without any undue risk.”

That’s finally over

Ichiro Suzuki snapped a career-worst, 0-for-29 skid with a bloop single.

Papi’s back out there

Ortiz was back at first for the second time in three games. On Sunday, he started his first non-interleague game at first in Fenway Park since 2005.

Interleague road woes

The Marlins have lost nine straight in AL parks, dating to last season. They’ve dropped seven in a row this year.

Up next

Marlins: RHP Jose Fernandez (1-0) is scheduled to start the opener of a fourgame series Thursday at home against Cincinnati and LHP David Holmberg, who is slated to make his first start of the season.

Red Sox: Off Thursday. RHP Clay Buchholz (7-6) looks to continue a strong run on Friday when Boston hosts the AL East-leading New York Yankees and RHP Michael Pineda (8-5). Buchholz has won his last four starts, posting a 0.87 ERA.

Cardinals 6, Cubs 5

CHICAGO (AP) — Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and St. Louis jolted Chicago.

The Cardinals trailed 5-4 and Cubs reliever Pedro Strop (1-4) quickly retired the first two batters in the ninth.

Matt Carpenter followed with a fourpitch walk and Peralta connected on a 1- 2 pitch, hitting a drive that barely cleared the wall in left field for his 12th home run.

Miguel Socolovich (3-1) got two outs for the win. Trevor Rosenthal gave up a two-out double to Addison Russell in the ninth, but struck out Dexter Fowler for his 25th save in 26 chances.

Dodgers 5, Phillies 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 in snapping a fivestart winless streak with an eight-hit shutout, and Jimmy Rollins hit a threerun homer against his former team to help Los Angeles beat Philadelphia.

Kershaw (6-6) walked none and threw 123 pitches. The left-hander hasn’t allowed a run in his last 31 innings against the Phillies while making three straight scoreless starts against them.

Kershaw, the reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner, is bidding for his fifth straight All-Star selection. He’s among five candidates in the fan vote for the final National League roster spot for next week’s game in Cincinnati.

Pirates 5, Padres 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — With the win, Pittsburgh completed a sweep of San Diego for its 10th series sweep of the season to tie a club record.

Gregory Polanco, Andrew McCutchen and Jung Ho Kang had RBI singles in a three-run eighth, all with two outs.

Andrew Cashner allowed one hit in his first six innings for San Diego, but was gone in the eighth. Brandon Maurer allowed his inherited runners to score and Cashner (3-10) was charged for four runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Yankees 5, Athletics 4

NEW YORK (AP) — All-Star slugger Mark Teixeira homered twice after Scott Kazmir left his start with triceps tightness, and CC Sabathia won for the first time in a month as New York held off Oakland.

Stephen Drew, who entered as a lategame defensive replacement in a 1-for-24 slump, homered off Fernando Abad in the eighth to give New York a 5-2 lead. Andrew Miller, just off the disabled list, nearly gave it all back in his first appearance since June 9, allowing a two-run shot in the ninth to Marcus Semien.

Angels 3, Rockies 2

DENVER (AP) — Mike Trout homered twice and Johnny Giavotella singled in the tiebreaking run with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Los Angeles over Colorado for its fifth straight win.

The start was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 7 minutes, and the teams played in 50-degree weather throughout. It didn’t bother Trout, who hit mammoth homers in the first and sixth to account for the Angels’ runs against starter Chris Rusin.

It was the fifth multihomer game of Trout’s career and second this season. The reigning AL MVP has gone deep 24 times on the year, second in the league to teammate Albert Pujols (26).

White Sox 7, Blue Jays 6 (11)

CHICAGO (AP) — Adam Eaton’s walkoff home run in the 11th inning lifted Chicago to a win over Toronto.

Eaton hammered a 1-0 pitch to right field off Toronto reliever Roberto Osuna (1-3) for his sixth home run of the season.

Josh Donaldson hit a pair of doubles and drove in two runs for Toronto.

Zach Putnam (3-3) pitched a scoreless 11th and White Sox relievers tossed scoreless ball for 6 2/3 innings, giving up two hits.

Indians 4, Astros 2

CLEVELAND (AP) — David Murphy drove in two runs with a double in the eighth inning to send Trevor Bauer and Cleveland to a win over Houston.

Murphy, who came in 3-for-9 vs. lefthanders this season, snapped a 2-2 tie by pulling a pitch from lefty Joe Thatcher (1-3) over right fielder Preston’s Tucker’s head, scoring rookie Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley.

Bauer (8-5) allowed Evan Gattis’ tworun homer in the first but settled down nicely, allowing six hits and no walks in eight innings. The right-hander retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

D-Backs 7, Rangers 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A.J. Pollock hit a three-run homer during a fiverun second inning in Texas left-hander Matt Harrison’s first start in more than a year, and Arizona beat the Rangers.

Harrison (0-1) made his previous start on May 13, 2014, against Houston, when he left with back stiffness about a month before career-threatening spinal fusion surgery. It was the last of three procedures for back problems that limited him to six appearances over two seasons.

Brewers 6, Braves 5

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Carlos Gomez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning and also had a solo shot in the sixth to help Milwaukee beat Atlanta.

The Brewers trailed 5-3 before Gomez’s eighth home run off reliever Luis Avilan (2-3), who failed to hold the lead for Julio Teheran and Atlanta. Shane Peterson and Gerardo Parra each reached on bloop hits before Avilan struck out Jonathan Lucroy. Gomez followed and drilled a 3-1 pitch into the seats.

Twins 5, Orioles 3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer hit back-to-back home runs with two outs in the sixth inning, propelling Minnesota past Baltimore to complete a three-game sweep.

Manny Machado and Chris Davis hit consecutive homers off Casey Fien in the eighth for the Orioles, but Glen Perkins got his 28th save in 28 attempts with a perfect ninth.

Tommy Milone (5-1) stayed unbeaten in seven starts since being brought backfrom Triple-A Rochester at the beginning of June, striking out five in seven innings to lower his ERA to 2.84.

Tigers 5, Mariners 4

SEATTLE (AP) — Jefry Marte got an RBI double for his first major league hit, then added a solo home run that sent Detroit over Seattle.

Marte made his big league debut last Sunday and had struck out in his only at-bat. The 24-year-old played first base while the Tigers are minus injured Miguel Cabrera.