Nationals pitcher strikes out 13, team defeats Red Sox 8-1

Cade Civalli allowed one hit over seven innings and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts as the Washington Nationals defeated the Red Sox 8-1 on Tuesday night. Civalli threw 100 pitches and surrendered one unearned run in the first inning after an error by third baseman Curtis Mead.

He struck out Willson Contreras in the fourth inning and yelled at the batter, prompting both benches to clear. Contreras, interim manager Chris Tracy, teammate Nate Eaton, and Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas were ejected from the game.

Game progression James Wood hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to tie the score. Luis García Jr. drove in two runs with a double in the seventh after Keibert Ruiz's RBI single, extending the lead to 4-1. CJ Abrams hit a leadoff home run in the eighth inning.

Wood added an RBI double later in the frame, and Ruiz doubled as the Nationals scored four runs to reach the final margin of 8-1. Wood finished with three of the Nationals' 12 hits.

Pitching changes Red Sox starter Connelly Early left after four innings with left elbow discomfort. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out five. Reliever Greg Weissert took the loss after allowing two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Left-hander Andrew Alvarez is scheduled to start for the Nationals on Wednesday against left-hander Payton Tolle of the Red Sox.