In the midst of a season-long losing streak, sending a recently ineffective Rick Porcello to the mound was probably not the best way to end the Boston Red Sox's current skid.
Williams Perez, on the other hand, was sharp as he helped the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 win over the struggling Red Sox in the opener of two-game set at Fenway Park on Monday night.
Perez (3-0) scattered five hits and two walks in six scoreless innings, sending Boston to a seventh straight defeat. The 24-year-old Perez, making his sixth career start, has allowed just one run in 19 innings on the road this season while in a starting role.
Porcello (4-7), meanwhile, lost his fifth consecutive start after giving up four runs on six hits with five strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
Nick Markakis, A.J. Pierzynski and Jace Peterson each drove in a run for the Braves, who had dropped three of their last four coming in.
Xander Bogaerts homered and Mookie Betts had an RBI for the Red Sox.
Atlanta gave Perez three runs of support in the fourth to grab the lead. Freddie Freeman singled with one away and swiped second for his third stolen base of the season. Markakis then knocked him in with a base hit to left and scored on a wild pitch by Porcello later in the inning. Pierzynski added an RBI single moments later as the Braves went up 3-0.
The Braves tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on Peterson's RBI single. Atlanta was able to load the bases with one out as Porcello's night came to a close after he walked Jonny Gomes and hit Andrelton Simmons. Robbie Ross Jr. was called on from the bullpen and allowed Peterson's hit to right, then Cameron Maybin grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Bogaerts smacked a solo shot off reliever Dana Eveland in the seventh, his third homer of the season.
Jim Johnson tossed a scoreless eighth inning and Jason Grilli secured his 17th save of the season despite allowing an unearned run in the ninth.
[SportsNetwork.com]
