Red Sox clip Cards

Mookie Betts homered and drove in two runs and Jackie Bradley Jr. also went deep as Boston beat St. Louis 6-3 on Tuesday night to take the opener of a two-game interleague series. Bradley had two of Boston’s six hits, and starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed 3 runs and 5 hits over 6 innings.

ST. LOUIS — Mookie Betts homered and drove in two runs, Jackie Bradley Jr. also went deep and the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 on Tuesday night to take the opener of a two-game interleague series.

Bradley had two of Boston’s six hits, and starter Eduardo Rodriguez (2-1) allowed 3 runs and 5 hits over 6 innings. Rodriguez walked 2, struck out 5 and threw a season-high 110 pitches.

St. Louis made three errors and lost for just the second time in 10 games. Lance Lynn (4-2) gave up 4 runs — 2 earned — and 3 hits in 6 innings, striking out 4 and walking 1.

Betts began the game with his seventh home run and 10th career leadoff shot, tying Jacoby Ellsbury for the franchise record. Bradley added a solo home run in the second for a 2-0 lead.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.

In the third inning, St. Louis’ Dexter Fowler smacked an RBI double off the left field wall, and Tommy Pham and Matt Carpenter followed with sacrifice flies.

The Red Sox scored twice in the fifth after a leadoff walk and an error. Bradley scored on an RBI groundout by Betts. Deven Marrero, who reached on an error by Jedd Gyorko, scored on Dustin Pedroia’s single to center to make it 4-3.

Boston scored twice in the eighth, on Christian Vazquez’s sac fly and then a dropped fly ball by Pham that was the third Cardinals error.

Red Sox Manager John Farrell said right-hander Hector Velazquez will be called up from Class AAA to start Thursday at Oakland. Velazquez,

whose contract was purchased from the Mexican League in February, is 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA in five starts at Pawtucket.