BOSTON (AP) — The way Mike Aviles hit as Jacoby Ellsbury’s replacement in the lineup, the Red Sox didn’t have to worry about the leadoff spot.
The rest of the batting order made up for his absence, too.
David Ortiz drove in five runs and hit one of Boston’s five home runs as the Red Sox pounded the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day, 13-5 on Saturday, a day after Ellsbury partially separated his right shoulder.
“I know Jacoby’s a big part of this offense and he’s a good ballplayer, great ballplayer actually,” said Aviles, who had a go-ahead homer among his three hits. “But we’ve got to bear down and everybody’s got to step up and put the pieces together and play as a team.”
The game was tied 5-all until Aviles homered, starting a three-run seventh inning. The Red Sox added five in the eighth — on a three-run double by Ortiz and a two-run homer by Cody Ross — one day after scoring eight in that inning in a 12-2 win.
“It’s not going to happen every day, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to go at it. We have good hitters,” Ortiz said. “We’re going to miss (Ellsbury) a lot, but whenever we can come out and produce like we did today, we’ve got to take advantage of it.”
The outburst was more remarkable because Boston had scored a total of just 57 runs in 18 games against Tampa Bay last season.
The Red Sox rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the first inning as Clay Buchholz (1-0) settled down.
“Buch got himself in a little trouble early, obviously,” Ross said, “and then just pitched a gem after that and we picked him up.”
Ellsbury, last year’s runner-up in the AL MVP voting, went on the 15-day disabled list before the game after being hurt trying to break up a double play.
Aviles, batting first for just the 46th time in 346 career games, led off the seventh with a homer, his first of the season, off Burke Badenhop (0-1). The Red Sox then loaded the bases off J.P. Howell on a double by Adrian Gonzalez, a walk to Kevin Youkilis and a single by Ortiz. Ross followed with a two-run double for an 8-5 lead.
Jeremy Hellickson struggled in his first start since being hit in the head with a ball during batting practice on Wednesday. He gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings and said his head didn’t bother him.
“The cutter was good. I think the first two home runs were good pitches,” he said. “I’ve just got to throw more strikes. I felt good. Arm felt good. Nothing with the head. Just made some bad pitches.”
And that forced manager Joe Maddon to bring in a reliever in the sixth inning.
“The bullpen’s covering a lot of innings,” he said. “We’ve got to get deeper into the game. That’s been our strength in the past.”
Tampa Bay had taken its first-inning lead on an RBI double by Carlos Pena and a three-run homer by Luke Scott, his first of the year.
The Red Sox cut that in half on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s two-run homer, his first, but Scott’s run-scoring double in the third made it 5-2.
Then Boston tied it with two more homers — one run scoring on Dustin Pedroia’s second of the year in the third and two on Ortiz’s first in the fifth.
Aviles had batted only eighth and ninth this season, but Ellsbury’s injury left a vacancy at the top of the order that figured to be tough to fill.
The center fielder batted .321 with 32 homers and 105 RBIs and led the majors with 364 total bases last season. He was hurt when he slid into second base in the fourth inning trying to break up a double play and shortstop Reid Brignac landed hard on Ellsbury’s right shoulder.
Boston manager Bobby Valentine gave no timetable for his return.
ANGELS 7, YANKEES 1
NEW YORK — C.J. Wilson beat the Yankees for the first time in his career, Albert Pujols and his teammates teed off and the Los Angeles Angels romped past New York.
Howie Kendrick, Chris Iannetta and Vernon Wells homered as the Angels ended their three-game skid and stopped New York’s winning streak at four.
Pujols got in the swing, too, after a quiet start with his new club. He singled sharply his first time up, then hit an RBI double that one-hopped the center-field wall. He later lined out twice and flied out to the fence in left.
Wilson (2-0) effectively pitched inside and worked out of frequent trouble, allowing only one run in six innings.
Phil Hughes (0-2) gave up eight hits and six runs in 3 1-3 innings.
RANGERS 6, TWINS 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Yu Darvish kept wriggling out of trouble in five-plus innings, Josh Hamilton homered among his three hits and Texas beat Minnesota.
Adrian Beltre drove in two runs and put Texas ahead with a single in the seventh that scored Brandon Snyder, who had a career-high three hits.
The Twins failed to score with the bases loaded three times, and lost for the sixth time in their first eight games.
Darvish, making his second start, was removed after loading the bases with two outs in the sixth. He allowed two runs — one earned — on nine hits, striking out four and walking four.
Robbie Ross (1-0) earned the win and Brian Duensing (0-1) was the loser.
ORIOLES 6, BLUE JAYS 4
TORONTO — Nolan Reimold hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the ninth inning and Baltimore beat the Blue Jays .
Wilson Betemit tied it with a home run in the eighth and Chris Davis also went deep for the Orioles, who won their second straight game at Rogers Centre. Coming into the series, Baltimore was 5-29 in Toronto dating to 2008.
Reimold hit a towering drive to left off Francisco Cordero (0-1), his second homer of the season and second ninth-inning shot in two days.
Luis Ayala (1-0) worked one inning for the win and Jim Johnson finished for his fourth save.
WHITE SOX 5, TIGERS 1
CHICAGO — Gavin Floyd overcame control problem to pitch six scoreless innings and Alexei Ramirez homered as the White Sox beat Detroit.
Tigers left-hander Adam Wilk, making first big league start, was hit in his pitching shoulder by teammate Prince Fielder’s foul ball while sitting in the dugout in the sixth inning.
Wilk (0-1) left with a bruised shoulder but is expected to make his next start. He allowed two runs on three hits in five innings Saturday. He struck out four and walked one.
Tyler Flowers and Paul Konerko also homered for the White Sox, who won their fourth straight game.
Floyd (1-1) pitched around three walks and three hit batters. He struck out six and allowed only three hits.
METS 5, PHILLIES 0
PHILADELPHIA — Jonathon Niese and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, David Wright homered despite a broken finger and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies.
Niese (2-0) allowed five hits and struck out five in 6 2-3 innings. Bobby Parnell got four outs and Jon Rauch pitched the ninth.
Wright was 3 for 5, including a long homer on the first pitch he saw after missing three games with a broken right pinkie. Lucas Duda also connected for the Mets, who are off to a surprising 6-2 start.
The five-time defending NL East champion Phillies are 3-5 and struggling offensively without All-Stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the middle of their lineup.
Phillies starter Vance Worley (0-1) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings.
NATIONALS 4, REDS 1
WASHINGTON — Edwin Jackson threw a two-hitter for his fifth career complete game and Adam LaRoche added to his unusually strong start with a tiebreaking two-run double, helping the Nationals win their fifth game in a row.
Other than a rocky second inning, Jackson (1-0) was as efficient and effective as can be, striking out nine. He retired 16 consecutive batters in one stretch, until walking Chris Heisey leading off the eighth.
As if all of that weren’t enough, Jackson even singled off Reds starter Homer Bailey (0-2).
Jesus Flores went 3 for 3 with an RBI while shrugging off a collision at the plate as a runner and Jayson Werth had two hits.
CARDINALS 5, CUBS 1
ST. LOUIS — Lance Lynn pitched effectively into the sixth inning and Yadier Molina had two hits and two RBIs, leading the Cardinals to a win over the Cubs.
Lynn (2-0) gave up four hits and one run in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out five, walked two and lowered his ERA to 1.50.
Jon Jay hit his second home run of the season in the seventh off Shawn Camp.
The Cardinals broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the fourth off Chris Volstad (0-1). Molina brought in Matt Holliday and Matt Carpenter with a single up the middle. Daniel Descalso had an RBI triple and Tyler Greene then hit a RBI single.
ASTROS 5, MARLINS 4
MIAMI — Carlos Lee drove in the tying run with a two-out single in the ninth inning, and an error by left fielder Logan Morrison allowed the go-ahead run to score as Houston rallied to beat closer Heath Bell and Miami.
Bell, one of the Marlins’ All-Star acquisitions this offseason, took the mound with a 4-1 lead to start the ninth but had a shaky performance for the third time in as many outings this season.
The Astros had four hits in the inning and scored four times, taking advantage of three Miami errors.
The last miscue was by Morrison, who misjudged a slicing fly hit by Brian Bogusevic. Morrison staggered and fell as he tried to catch it, and the ball glanced off the heel of his glove, allowing a runner to score from third.
Rhiner Cruz (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings. Brett Myers worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
Bell (0-2), booed when he departed after retiring only two of the seven batters he faced, blew a save for the second time in as many chances. The late rally cost Carlos Zambrano his first win for the Marlins.
BRAVES 2, BREWERS 1
ATLANTA — Mike Minor pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning to give Atlanta’s rotation a lift and the Braves survived a ninth-inning scare to beat Shaun Marcum and Milwaukee for their fourth straight victory.
Craig Kimbrel pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, striking out pinch-hitter George Kottaras and Mat Gamel for his fourth save.
Minor (1-1) recorded 18 consecutive outs after hitting Corey Hart with a pitch to open the second inning. The left-hander did not allow an earned run in 7 1-3 innings, becoming the first Braves starter this season to get an out after the fifth. He struck out four and walked one in the longest start of his career.
The Braves have won four straight after losing their first four games. Milwaukee has lost three in a row.
Juan Francisco had a run-scoring double in a two-run second. Marcum (1-1) gave up three hits over seven innings and was hurt by Ryan Braun’s throwing error in left field.
