First-inning homers lift Red Sox past Nationals for 5th straight win

Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin hit first-inning home runs, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3, series-opening win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Monday night.

Contreras crushed a three-run shot to spark the Red Sox, who did all of their offensive work -- six runs on nine hits -- over the first three innings en route to a fifth straight win.

Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela and Anthony Seigler added two hits apiece.

Ranger Suarez (4-3) struck out eight over six innings of three-run ball, marking the 12th consecutive quality start by Red Sox pitching. The left-hander permitted five hits and one walk.

Garrett Whitlock fanned two Nationals in the ninth to record his first save of the season.

Before the Red Sox began their early onslaught, James Wood cranked a leadoff solo homer over the right field bullpen on the third pitch of the game. It was his 21st long ball of the season, six of them coming as the Nationals' first batter of the game.

Curtis Mead went 2-for-4 and CJ Abrams hit a two-run double for Washington, which had won its previous two games.

After the early homer, Suarez retired the next nine men he faced and did not allow another hit until the sixth inning. Meanwhile, the Boston offense built a 6-1 lead.

The hosts tagged Washington starter Miles Mikolas (2-7) for five hits in a four-run first, with back-to-back singles by Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu preceding Contreras' towering blast over the Green Monster in left-center field. It was Contreras' first homer since an earthquake shook his native Venezuela, leaving him emotional in the dugout.

One out later, Durbin connected for a solo shot out to straightaway left to extend the Red Sox's lead.

The following inning began with Tsung-Che Cheng hitting a single. After Masataka Yoshida and Rafaela also singled to load the bases, Abreu's sacrifice fly made it 5-0.

After the second out of the inning, Contreras was ejected by first base umpire Nic Lentz for tapping his helmet after a check-swing strikeout, seemingly mocking an ABS challenge.

In the third, Seigler knocked a one-out double to deep center and stole third before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Carlos Narvaez.

Mikolas settled into the outing after three shaky innings, retiring the final 13 batters he faced before giving way to reliever Zak Kent. Mikolas yielded six runs on nine hits in seven innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk.

The Nationals got to Suarez in the sixth, collecting four hits. Abrams had the key blow, a two-run double into the right field corner.

--Field Level Media