CLEVELAND (Interstat) — The Cleveland Guardians built an early four-run lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Progressive Field, snapping a two-game skid and improving to 34-25 on the season.

A crowd of 34,404 watched the Guardians score four times in the first inning against Boston starter Brayan Bello, who labored through 34 pitches in the opening frame. Cleveland sent nine batters to the plate and collected five hits, taking advantage of a critical defensive miscue by Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.

The rally began with a sharp single by Jose Ramirez, who lined a 1-0 pitch to left field. Chase DeLauter followed with a soft ground ball to third baseman Caleb Durbin, putting runners at first and second. Rhys Hoskins then singled sharply to left, driving in Ramirez for the game’s first run. Kyle Manzardo singled to load the bases, and Angel Martinez ripped a line drive to center that was misplayed by Rafaela, allowing two runs to score and giving the Guardians a 3-0 lead. Daniel Schneemann singled to load the bases again, and Patrick Bailey lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Manzardo and making it 4-0. Bello escaped further damage by striking out Brayan Rocchio to end the inning.

The Red Sox, who fell to 23-33 with the loss, did not record a hit in the first three innings against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi. Boston’s first baserunner came in the second when Mickey Gasper doubled off the glove of right fielder DeLauter, but Gasper was thrown out at home on a fielding error by Rocchio that turned into a relay from left fielder Martinez to catcher Bailey.

Boston’s offense finally broke through in the fifth. Gasper singled to right field to open the inning, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with a single to left. Marcelo Mayer lined a single to center, scoring Gasper and moving Kiner-Falefa to third. Cecconi then allowed a double to Durbin that cleared the bases, bringing home Kiner-Falefa and sending Mayer to third. Cecconi was relieved by Colin Holderman, who immediately allowed a sacrifice fly to Jarren Duran that plated Mayer, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Holderman induced a groundout from Rafaela and a soft grounder from Wilyer Abreu to end the inning, stranding Durbin at third.

That was as close as Boston would get. The Red Sox put runners on base in each of the final four innings but could not push across the tying run. In the seventh, Mayer singled with one out but was left stranded when Durbin grounded out and Duran struck out. In the eighth, Willson Contreras singled and Masataka Yoshida singled, putting runners at the corners with one out, but Gasper grounded out to first base to end the threat.

Holderman pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out one, to earn his third win against no losses. Hunter Gaddis worked a scoreless seventh, allowing two hits. Tim Herrin recorded two outs in the eighth, allowing one hit. Cade Smith closed the door in the ninth, striking out three while allowing a single to Kiner-Falefa to earn his 20th save.

Cecconi allowed seven hits and three earned runs over 4 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking none. Boston’s Tyler Samaniego, who relieved Bello in the fifth, allowed no runs on one hit over two innings but was charged with the loss, dropping to 0-3. Bello pitched five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.

Boston outhit Cleveland 11-10 but left seven runners on base and committed one error. The Red Sox had won the previous three meetings between the teams this season, but Friday’s loss extended their recent struggles. Boston has lost nine of its last 12 games, including three of four to the Atlanta Braves earlier in the week. Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak and moved to 5-2 in its last seven contests.

The game took 2 hours, 14 minutes to complete.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland 7, Boston 4. The ELO system gave Cleveland a 55.40 percent probability of winning. Boston was a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total of seven runs went over the over-under line of eight.