Boston’s Christian Vazquez, left, celebrates his three-run home run with Xander Bogaerts during the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against Baltimore in Boston. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
BOSTON — Nick Pivetta struck out eight in five innings of one-run ball in his Boston debut, Christian Vázquez hit a three-run homer and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Tuesday night.
There were five errors combined by the teams, a misplayed fly ball and a runner picked off third to kill a rally, a performance befitting the AL East’s worst two teams.
Bobby Dalbec drove in a pair of runs and J.D. Martinez had three hits with an RBI for the last-place Red Sox.
Renato Núñez clubbed a towering solo homer for the Orioles that hit halfway up a light stanchion above the Green Monster. Baltimore has lost five of six.
Acquired from the Phillies along with a minor league right-hander for relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree on Aug. 21, the 27-year-old Pivetta (1-0) relied mostly on his fastball in the low 90 mph range to dominate the Orioles.
The righty gave up three singles and walked three after being called up from the club’s alternate training site. Matt Barnes got the final out with the bases loaded for his ninth save.
Keegan Akin (1-2) was roughed up for eight hits and four runs – two earned – in four innings.
Vázquez homered into the Monster seats, making it 8-3 in the sixth after Martinez’s RBI single.
Trailing 1-0, the Red Sox turned two Orioles’ errors into a three-run second inning. Vázquez reached on third baseman Rio Ruiz’s throwing error and scored on Dalbec’s RBI double.
Left fielder DJ Stewart came charging in and dropped Alex Verdugo’s fly ball on what would have been the final out for the third run after Chavis’ sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Chavis had a rough sixthin left field that led two runs. First, he looked like he was positioned well, but realized late that Pedro Severino’s drive was about to sail over his leaping bid for an error. On Ruiz’s fly, he took a bad route, cutting across to left-center before it went over his jump for an RBI double. … Boston’s Jonathan Araúz was picked off third with a runner on first and no outs in the fourth. … Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers booted a grounder, struck out swinging four times and grounded into a DP. … The Red Sox post the updated standings daily on the Monster, and it’s hard not to miss. “It’s not fun looking out at that scoreboard and seeing us in last place,” Boston Manager Ron Roenicke said.
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