Xander Bogaerts continued his hot start with his first home run of the season, and Rick Porcello notched his first win of 2018 in the Boston Red Sox’ 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Bogaerts went deep off Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge, who started on Tampa Bay’s first “bullpen day” of the season, when he turned on a 93-mph fastball with a rocket to left field in the second inning. The Red Sox shortstop went 3-for-4 with two RBIs on the evening and is 8-for-12 (.667) to start the season.
With his third big game in a row, Bogaerts became the first Red Sox player in history and only the second since 1900 to hit at least two extra-base hits in his each of his first three games to start the season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
❌ gave it to 'em. pic.twitter.com/4RKi28c6UQ
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 1, 2018
Porcello pitched 5.1 innings and was charged with one earned run, which Joey Wendle batted in with a sacrifice fly against Heath Hembree in the sixth frame.
The Red Sox bullpen combined for 3.2 innings of one-run ball, finished by Craig Kimbrel’s second save of the season.
Up Next: To close out the first series of the 2018 campaign, the Red Sox’ Hector Velazquez takes on Rays righty Jake Faria in an Easter Sunday matinee at Tropicana Field.