Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela hit two doubles with two RBIs, and fellow rookie David Hamilton added a solo home run in the ninth inning to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
Rafaela’s first double off Justin Verlander (3-3) gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the second inning. He drove in another run with a double with two outs in the seventh inning.
“Those two RBIs right there with two outs were huge for the team,” Rafaela said. Manager Alex Cora praised the rookie.
“He’s been putting up good at bats for two months already,” Cora said. “In the biggest moments he’s able to slow it down. He’s doing a lot of good things.”
Hamilton’s home run to right field off Seth Martinez made it 4-1 with two outs in the ninth inning.
The Red Sox, who had been swept by the AL West-leading Astros at home earlier this month, won this series after getting a 6-5 victory Tuesday night. They finished a road trip that started with four games in Baltimore with a 4-3 record.
“As a team that says a lot,” Rafaela said. “We can compete with the best teams in the game and for me are one of the best teams.”
Alex Bregman hit his first career leadoff home run in his return to the lineup after missing five games with a swollen right elbow. But the Astros struggled at the plate the rest of the day, going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position after finishing 0 for 8 on Tuesday.
Bregman was batting first for just the third time this season with Jose Altuve getting a rare day off.
Verlander allowed four hits and two runs with six strikeouts in five innings in his first start since June 9. The 41-year-old, who had been out with stiffness in his neck, threw 76 pitches after throwing 57 in his second rehabilitation start on Thursday.
“I felt good,” Verlander said. “I felt like the stuff was pretty good and as the game went along the location started to hone in and the mechanics felt good. So I was happy about it.”
Red Sox starter Cooper Criswell gave up four hits and one run in 4 2/3 innings. Josh Winckowski (4-1) pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the win, and Chris Martin struck out one in the ninth inning for his first save.
The Astros had a chance to take the lead in the seventh inning. Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubón hit back-to-back singles with no outs, and both advanced a base on a wild pitch by Greg Weissert.
Pinch-hitter Jon Singleton struck out, and pinch-hitter Trey Cabbage walked to load the bases. Bregman was retired on a foul ball caught by Wilyer Abreu in foul territory before Weissert was replaced by Brennan Bernardino.
Bernardino struck out Yordan Alvarez with an outside pitch to end the threat, causing a frustrated Alvarez to toss his bat.
Jarren Duran, who went 4 for 4 on Tuesday night, led off with a double before scoring on a one-out single by Triston Casas to give the Red Sox an early lead.
Connor Wong was on first with two outs in the second inning when Rafaela doubled off the wall in left field to put Boston ahead 2-1.
Masataka Yoshida singled to start the seventh inning and stole second base with one out. With two outs in the inning, Rafaela doubled on a line drive to the corner of left field, scoring Yoshida and making it 3-1.
