A pair of solo home runs stood up as Connelly Early pitched a career-high seven shutout innings, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 2-0 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

Wilyer Abreu’s two-out blast in the third was all that Boston needed, but Ceddanne Rafaela (2-for-4) added a homer of his own in the next inning for good measure.

Early (3-2) fanned eight while allowing just four hits and one walk on the way to his first scoreless start of the season. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman followed the southpaw with scoreless innings, preserving Boston’s MLB-leading sixth shutout of the season.

Nick Fortes (2-for-3) had two of the four hits for Tampa Bay, which was blanked for the first time this season and had a seven-game win streak snapped.

After allowing just one base hit through the first two innings, Early escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam with a strikeout and a 5-4-3 double play to end the third without any damage done. Back-to-back hits by Nick Fortes and Taylor Walls had started the frame.

The Red Sox went without a hit for the first 3 2/3 innings against Jesse Scholtens (3-2) — a primary reliever who completed 4 2/3 in his second start of the season — before breaking up the shutout bid with one swing. With two outs in the third, Abreu crushed a solo job over the bullpens in right-center field.

Rafaela joined the action an inning later, giving Boston a 2-0 lead with a line-drive shot over the Green Monster in left.

Early was dominant following the Rays’ big threat, allowing only one base hit — a Fortes single with one out in the fifth — through the remainder of his outing. After Fortes’ second knock, the southpaw bounced back to strike out back-to-back batters and the side.

Though the Red Sox were unable to extend their lead and logged just two hits themselves after scoring in the fourth, Early punctuated the night with a looking strikeout of Fortes in the seventh.

With Chapman on to close, third baseman Caleb Durbin made a diving stop to help retire Junior Caminero in a 1-2-3 ninth with two punchouts. Chapman earned his eighth save.

–Field Level Media

Breanna Stewart totaled 31 points and 10 rebounds as the New York Liberty easily survived the absence of Sabrina Ionescu and rolled to a 106-75 rout of the Connecticut Sun Friday night in New York.

Stewart began her fourth season in New York by shooting 10-of-17 from the floor. Stewart also made 11 of 12 free throws and surpassed 6,000 career points.

Marine Johannes added 17 by hitting five 3-pointers and shooting 6-of-13 from the floor. Betnijah-Laney Hamilton contributed 12 points in her return from knee surgery after missing last season

Julie Vanloo added 12 points after joining New York on a hardship contract. Jonquel Jones chipped in 10 as the Liberty shot 52.2%, hit 10 threes and shot 83.9% (26 of 31) at the free-throw line.

Besides Ionescu, the Liberty were missing Rebecca Allen (left leg) and Satou Sabally (cyst). New York also was without Raquel Carrera and Leonie Fiebich, who were finishing overseas commitments.

Diamond Miller scored 16 in her debut for Connecticut. Aneesah Morrow added 15 and Brittney Griner contributed 13 in her debut for the Sun.

Coming off an 11-33 showing last season, the Sun shot 38.6% and were 4-of-22 from outside the arc. Connecticut also allowed 24 points off 17 turnovers and trailed by as many as 33.

The Liberty took their first double-digit lead when Jones sank a 3 to make it 16-4 halfway through the first quarter. A basket by Vanloo opened a 25-8 lead a little over two minutes later, and Jones sank a layup with 21 seconds left for a 36-13 edge through the opening quarter

The Liberty continued pouring it on by taking a trio of 27-point leads in the first 3:18 of the second. Johannes canned a 29-foot 3-pointer for a 52-26 lead with 3:52 remaining and the Liberty held a 66-37 lead at halftime.

The Sun made a small comeback with an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 70-50 on a basket by Griner with 6:11 left in the third. The Liberty quickly restored order, ending the period with an 87-60 lead.

–Field Level Media

Jacob Young hit a two-run home run, Foster Griffin pitched seven strong innings and the Washington Nationals beat the host Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night.

Curtis Mead reached base three times on a double and two walks for Washington, which has won three straight games. The Nationals improved to 13-7 in road games.

All five runs were scored in the first inning.

Griffin (4-1) gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits. He set a career high with nine strikeouts and walked one. Griffin threw 103 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.12.

Brad Lord got five outs before Javier Sanoja reached on an error by shortstop CJ Abrams in the ninth. PJ Poulin came on and walked Heriberto Hernandez before getting Leo Jimenez to ground into a forceout for his first save.

Xavier Edwards homered and Otto Lopez notched his fifth three-hit game of the season with a double and two singles for the Marlins, who have lost five of six.

Miami starter Robby Snelling (0-1) gave up three runs on five hits over five innings.

The Nationals started strong when Mead doubled with one out and scored on a two-out single by Abrams. Young followed with a long home run to left and Washington led 3-0.

Miami got two back in their half as the first three batters reached against Griffin. Edwards led off with a homer to left center and Lopez followed with a double. Kyle Stowers was safe when first baseman Mead threw high to Griffin covering first, and Lopez came home on the wild throw.

The first two Nationals reached in the second, but Snelling induced a double-play grounder from Keibert Ruiz.

Nasim Nunez walked leading off the Washington seventh and stole second. Mead walked with two outs before Brady House grounded into a force play.

Lopez singled with one out in the eighth inning but was thrown out attempting to steal second.

–Field Level Media