Boston, MA – Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a key late two-run homer and Jake Peavy enjoyed a successful Beantown debut as Boston downed Arizona, 5-2, in the middle edition of a three-game interleague set.
Shane Victorino finished with a solo homer and two RBI for the Red Sox, who bounced back from a series-opening loss on Friday to win for the sixth time in the last eight outings.
Peavy (9-4) delivered as expected, with the right-hander working seven- plus innings and allowing two runs on four hits, fanning seven with two walks. The 32-year-old, acquired in a three-team trade on Wednesday, needed 99 pitches to produce his third straight win.
"Outstanding debut for us," said Boston manager John Farrell on Peavy's performance. "A number of swing and miss, with three different pitches -- fastball, cutter and slider. He was efficient and as advertised."
Koji Uehara locked down the victory with a scoreless ninth to earn his 10th save.
Paul Goldschmidt homered and Aaron Hill added an RBI hit for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped five of their last seven.
Patrick Corbin (12-3) lasted six-plus frames in defeat, charged with eight hits and three runs.
"In the seventh inning, Patrick (Corbin) ran out of gas a little bit and made some pitches where he didn't want them," said D'backs manager Kirk Gibson.
Boston picked up two in the seventh to take the lead. Stephen Drew and Brandon Snyder singled, then both moved up on a wild pitch. Jacoby Ellsbury drove in Drew with a base hit, and after Will Harris entered the game for Corbin, Victorino greeted him with a fly to center which plated Holt for a 3-1 contest.
Peavy exited after serving up a leadoff single to Wil Nieves in the eighth, and Arizona loaded the bases with no one out once reliever Craig Breslow hit Cliff Pennington and gave up a single to Gerardo Parra.
Junichi Tazawa came in and allowed an RBI single to Hill, pulling the D-Backs within 3-2, but Pennington was tagged out trying to score on the play. Tazawa rebounded to retire the next two batters to end the frame.
Mike Napoli worked a leadoff walk in the home half and Saltalamacchia deposited a ball into the bullpen for a 5-2 game.
Uehara walked Martin Prado to begin the final frame, but was helped out by a fielder's choice grounder and game-ending double-play ball from Jason Kubel.
The Sox loaded the bases with one out in the second on a single, walk and error, but failed to score.
Goldschmidt put up the first run of the game with a shot to center to start the fourth.
Victorino provided the equalizer for the hosts in the fifth on a one-out blast which just barely cleared the Green Monster.
Game Notes
Boston has won six of its last seven pairings with Arizona, and also upped its mark to 8-3 this year against National League clubs ... Corbin suffered his first career defeat against an American League opponent ... According to Elias Sports Bureau, on Friday night, Cody Ross became just the second former Red Sox player to post four hits, including a homer, in his first game back at Fenway Park after leaving Boston. He joined Cecil Cooper, who went 4-for-5 with a homer in Brewers' 15-7 win in his return to Fenway on May 20, 1977 ... Ellsbury, who went 1-for-4, has hit safely in all 11 of Boston's interleague games this year has a hit in each of his last 14 interleague contests overall since June 30, 2011.
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