Willson Contreras’ 8th-Inning HR Lifts Red Sox Past Braves 3-2

Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning Saturday night to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in the teams’ first game of a three-game series.

Boston rookie left-hander Payton Tolle earned the win by allowing two runs over a season-high eight innings. He finished with four hits allowed and three strikeouts. The Red Sox have been 15-1 in games when their starters pitch at least six innings, a mark that held as Tolle limited Atlanta’s offense after surrendering an early lead.

The game turned in the late innings as Aroldis Chapman came on to close. Chapman moved into a tie for 10th place with his 377th career save and later survived a late defensive scare after Andruw Monasterio, playing for injured Trevor Story, made a throwing error with two outs and the bases empty. Chapman then walked Mauricio Dubón and Michael Harris II to load the bases before HaSeong Kim ended it by grounding out, forcing the runners to hold.

Contreras’ go-ahead swing came off Braves starter Bryce Elder, who lasted eight innings and threw a season-high 103 pitches while allowing seven hits. Earlier, Boston scored its first run in the fourth inning when Masataka...