Boston's Brayan Bello gets set to deliver a pitch during Friday night's game vs. the Pirates in Pittsburgh. (AP photo)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brayan Bello allowed one hit in six innings, Rob Refsnyder hit his first home run of the season and the Boston Red Sox breezed past the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 on Friday night.

Bello (3-1) struck out seven and walked two. The lone hit he surrendered was a leadoff double by Jack Suwinski in the bottom of the second. Bello retired the last 11 batters he faced as the Red Sox bounced back from a dismal homestand by handing the Pirates their fourth straight loss.

“Went out there to compete every inning,” Bello said through a translator. “This is what I wanted since the offseason, since I started working out, showing the kind of pitcher that I am.”

Refsnyder, who made his season debut Thursday after being activated off the injured list, hit a two-run shot with one out in the fifth that chased Quinn Priester (0-1). Wilyer Abreu, Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela also homered for Boston. Abreu finished 3 for 5, while Refsnyder and Connor Wong each had two hits.

Cam Booser, a 31-year-old left-handed reliever who walked away from baseball and became a carpenter after the 2017 season, allowed a run in the ninth in his major league debut.

Booser’s teammates showered him with beer, ketchup, water and whatever else was available in the clubhouse afterward.

“I wasn’t expecting anything like that,” said Booser, who allowed a triple to Alika Williams but also struck out five-time All-Star Andrew McCutchen. “That was very special to me. And it just tied into how special the whole day was. I’ll remember every part of today for the rest of my life.”

Priester, a 2019 first-round pick who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, struggled in his first big league start of the season.

The 22-year-old right-hander gave up solo shots to Abreu and Casas in the first inning and labored from there. Priester, whose return to the majors following a bumpy 2023 was powered by improved command that helped him pile up 20 strikeouts in three starts, struck out just two while giving up five runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings.

“I think it comes down to you have to execute in the big leagues,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said of Priester. “If you don’t make pitches and put yourself into deficit counts, then balls are gonna get hit hard and I think that’s what we saw.”

Pittsburgh has cooled following a 9-3 start. The Pirates have dropped seven of nine since, with much of the attention turning to 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes. The right-hander struck out eight in 3 1/3 innings for Indianapolis on Thursday, though Pittsburgh insists it is in no hurry to bring him up.

Boston, like the Pirates, started hot. The Red Sox won seven of 10 to begin the season before dropping seven of 10 during a 10-game homestand against Baltimore, the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland. Injuries to prominent players have piled up, though the starting rotation has been among the best in the majors despite losing Lucas Giolito for the season to Tommy John surgery in March.

Red Sox starters have posted a 1.71 ERA through 21 games, with 114 strikeouts against 27 walks.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 3B Rafael Devers (bruised left knee) was held out of the lineup for a second straight game, though manager Alex Cora is hopeful Devers won’t need a trip to the injured list. … RHP Nick Pivetta (right elbow) is “trending” in the right direction according to Cora. Pivetta will throw a bullpen session soon.

Pirates: C Yasmani Grandal (left foot) served as the designated hitter for Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday after catching seven innings Thursday. … LHP Marco Gonzalez (left forearm) is shut down for at least the next two weeks.

UP NEXT

The three-game interleague series continues Saturday. Kutter Crawford (0-0, 0.42 ERA) starts for Boston against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (2-1, 4.50).

SOX MOURN MCCARTY

The Red Sox are mourning the sudden passing of former first baseman and outfielder Dave McCarty, a member of the 2004 World Championship team who passed away Friday at the age of 54 due to a cardiac event in Oakland, Calif.

Born in Houston, TX, McCarty played in 630 Major League games with seven teams, including the final three seasons of his professional career with the Red Sox from 2003-05. Earlier this month, he was at Fenway Park as part of the 20-year anniversary of Boston’s 2004 World Series Championship season.

In 118 games with Boston, he hit .286 (52-for-182) with five home runs and a .794 OPS. McCarty appeared in 89 games for the Red Sox during their 2004 championship season, making 25 starts at first base and six in the outfield in addition to making three pitching appearances.

Following his playing career, McCarty served as a NESN analyst from July 2005 through the 2008 season.

McCarty is survived by his wife, Monica, and their two children, Reid and Maxine.

(Red Sox Media Relations contributed to this report.)

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