BOSTON (DA) — Ceddanne Rafaela kept his strong season moving Monday as the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 at Fenway Park for their season-high fifth straight win.
Rafaela, the Curaçao center fielder, went 2-for-4 and scored a run. He singled in the first and second innings, giving him his 20th multi-hit game of the season. That total is tied for second on the team, behind Wilyer Abreu’s 25.
Boston did its damage early, scoring 4 runs in the first inning and adding single runs in the second and third. Willson Contreras hit a 3-run homer in the first, and Caleb Durbin followed with a solo shot later in the inning. Durbin added another RBI as Boston built enough of a cushion to hold off Washington.
The Red Sox improved to 37-46 and have won 6 of their last 7 games and 8 of their last 11 since June 19. Their 5-game winning streak is their longest since a 7-game run from July 29 to Aug. 5, 2025.
Ranger Suarez earned the win for Boston, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits over 6 innings. He walked 1 and struck out 8. Garrett Whitlock picked up the save.
Washington starter Miles Mikolas took the loss after allowing 6 runs on 9 hits. James Wood homered for the Nationals, who scored once in the first and twice in the sixth but were held scoreless over the final 3 innings.
Rafaela’s performance added another steady night to Boston’s lineup as the Red Sox continued their best stretch of the season.