Red Sox take down Braves to end 5-game skid

Trevor Story ended a 15-game homer-less streak and the visiting Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Friday in the opener of their three-game series to stop their season-long five-game skid.

Story hit a two-run homer, his seventh, in the fourth inning to give Boston the lead. The shot carried 431 feet to left field and was his first home run since May 10.

Boston starter Lucas Giolito pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run on five hits, two walks and three strikeouts. He recorded only one perfect inning and escaped trouble in the fourth inning when he allowed the first two runners to reach before retiring the next three, striking out Ronald Acuna Jr. to end the threat.

The winning pitcher was Garrett Whitlock (4-0), the second of five relievers used by the Red Sox. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Atlanta starter Grant Holmes (3-4) pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits, one walk and matched his career high with nine strikeouts.

The Braves scored one run in the first inning when Matt Olson singled to right field to score Acuna. The throw from Wilyer Abreu beat Acuna to the plate but took an odd hop and bounced off the mask of catcher Carlos Narvaez.

After Story's homer in the fourth, Boston added a run in the sixth inning. Narvaez doubled and scored on Abraham Toro's double that bounced off the base of the right-field wall. Toro, who had three hits, has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games.

The Braves appeared to have scored in the seventh when Story made a great play at shortstop but threw wildly to first base, allowing a run to score. But the call was overturned when a video challenge showed Toro had kept a toe on first base, which ended the inning.

Rafael Devers added a two-run single in the ninth inning, giving him 33 RBIs for May, one shy of his personal best for a single month set in 2019.

--Field Level Media