Red Sox defeat Rays on Patriots’ Day

BOSTON — Andrew Benintendi hit a go-ahead, tworun single as Boston scored three unearned runs following a dropped throw by second baseman Brad Miller, and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Monday in the annual Patriots’ Day game.

Benintendi had three singles in the 11:05 a.m. start, which coincides with the Boston Marathon, and the Red Sox won their third straight after losing the opener of the four-game series.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright (1-1) allowed three runs — one earned — and nine hits in six innings. He gave up four homers over 1⅓ innings in his previous start.

In Chicago, Eric Thames homered in his club record-tying fifth straight game and streaking Milwaukee turned back Chicago.

Milwaukee never trailed after Thames hit an opposite-field homer to snap a 3-3 tie in the third inning. Jeromy Burnitz became the first and last Brewers player to homer in five straight games in August, 1997.

Ryan Braun and Jeff Bandy also went deep for Milwaukee. The victory was the Brewers’ sixth in the last seven games.

The Cubs lost for a fourth straight time, their worst stretch since a five-game skid from July 5-9 last season.

BREWERS 6, CUBS 3:

In Atlanta, Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and Atlanta, boosted by Freddie Freeman’s two home runs, beat San Diego for a four-game sweep in its first series at SunTrust Park.

Swanson’s bases-loaded hit fell just in front of diving left fielder Allen Cordoba. The Braves have followed a five-game losing streak with five straight wins.

BRAVES 5, PADRES 4: DIAMONDBACKS 4, DODGERS 2:

In Los Angeles, Jake Lamb hit a solo home run in the eighth inning and David Peralta added a run-scoring triple in the ninth to lead Arizona to a victory over Los Angeles.