Nationals handle offense-challenged Red Sox

Patrick Corbin pitched five innings to earn his first victory of the season as the visiting Washington Nationals kicked off a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox with a 5-1 victory Friday night.

Corbin (1-3) limited Boston to a run on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one. Fifty-four of his 86 pitches were strikes.

Trey Lipscomb had a two-run single for the Nationals, who led 3-0 after three innings. Washington received two hits from both Eddie Rosario and Victor Robles.

Boston's offensive struggles continued. The Red Sox have lost six of their last seven games, and they have totaled seven runs in those six losses.

The Red Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth, but Robert Garcia replaced Derek Law on the mound and struck out Jarren Duran to end the threat.

Connor Wong collected two of Boston's nine hits.

Boston starting pitcher Tanner Houck (3-4) went seven innings. He surrendered three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four.

Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela extended his hitting streak to eight games when he reached on an infield single in the fifth.

The Nationals grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second. After Keibert Ruiz singled and Rosario doubled with two outs, Lipscomb's single drove in both runners.

An infield single by Joey Meneses scored Luis Garcia Jr. to put Washington in front 3-0 in the third. Garcia, who hit a two-out double to center, has reached base in 17 straight games.

Boston got on the scoreboard in the fourth. Wong reached on a bunt and scored from first on Garrett Cooper's two-out double.

Washington added two runs against Kenley Jansen in the ninth. Rosario made it 4-1 when he raced home from third on a wild pitch, and Robles drove in Lipscomb with a two-out single to finalize the scoring.

The Nationals had four stolen bases in the victory.

—Field Level Media