Phillies 4, Red Sox 3
Domonic Brown homered twice and Kyle Kendrick worked six solid innings as Philadelphia took the opener of a two-game set from visiting Boston.
Ryan Howard and Erik Kratz each added a solo blast for the Phillies, who spilt two games at Fenway Park before shifting the interleague series down Interstate 95. Kendrick (5-3) entered with a 10.80 ERA in four career appearances against the Red Sox but held them to two runs on four hits.
John Lackey (3-5) was reached for three solo homers among six hits in six innings while Daniel Nava homered and Dustin Pedroia drove in a run for Boston. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled in a run in the ninth but Jonathan Papelbon stranded the tying run on third to earn his 11th save and deny his former team for a second straight night.
Ellsbury led off the game with a triple that was misplayed in the outfield and came in on Pedroia’s sacrifice fly to give the Reds Sox a quick lead. Howard knotted it up in the second with an opposite-field blast that made it into the front row in left field.
Brown, who homered in each of the games in Boston, and Kratz went back-to-back in the fourth to make it a 3-1 gap. Brown added an important insurance run when he sent his 13th into the right-field stands off Koji Uehara in the eighth to make it 4-2.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Phillies placed 3B Michael Young on the bereavement list and recalled INF Cesar Hernandez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hernandez made his major-league debut as a pinch hitter in the seventh and flied out to center. … The Red Sox pushed RHP Clay Buchholz (AC joint) back again after he felt discomfort during a bullpen session on Wednesday. He could return as soon as Sunday. … Boston recalled OF Jackie Bradley Jr. from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP Alex Wilson.