BOSTON — Marcelo Mayer and Willson Contreras both hit home runs as part of a three-run sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in their home opener Friday.

Caleb Durbin added an RBI single in the fourth inning to end an 0-for-19 start to the season as Boston improved on its first 1-5 start since 2019. Durbin’s line drive to center field ended an overall hitless streak of 34 plate appearances that dated back to Sept. 22, 2025, when he was still with Milwaukee.

Boston’s Sonny Gray (1-0) picked up the victory, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits. Aroldis Chapman walked one in the ninth but got his second save.

Contreras’ 423-foot blast off Padres starter Michael King (0-1) — his first since being traded by St. Louis in the offseason — went over the Green Monster to break a 2-2 tie. Later, with two outs, Mayer drilled his first homer of the season off reliever Wandy Peralta, just over the wall in right field and into the bullpen.

King lasted 5 2/3 inning, yielding four runs on seven hits. He struck out five.

Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, San Diego got a break when Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela lost a fly ball in the sun, resulting in a triple by Miguel Andujar. He scored on a single by Gavin Sheets, and Luis Campusano tied the game with an RBI double.

Rafaela put the Red Sox on the scoreboard in the third inning, lining a single off the Green Monster that scored Mayer.

Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 0 for 3 in his first game at Fenway since he left the Red Sox to join San Diego in 2022. He was injured during the Padres’ visit in 2024 but was given a standing ovation from fans to celebrate the two World Series he helped the franchise win over his 10 seasons with the Red Sox. He received another warm welcome on Friday.

Up next

The Padres and right-hander Randy Vásquez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) face the Red Sox and left-hander Connelly Early (0-0, 1.69) on Saturday afternoon.