A four-run first inning carried the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-3 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

Boston had the game-tying run on base when Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to open the ninth, but Cleveland closer Cade Smith struck out the next three batters to collect his 20th save.

Cleveland's four-run first included RBI singles by Rhys Hoskins and Angel Martinez, a Ceddanne Rafaela error that allowed Hoskins to score, and a Patrick Bailey sacrifice fly that drove in Kyle Manzardo.

All four runs were charged to Tyler Samaniego (0-3), who was used as an opener before giving way to Brayan Bello after one inning. Samaniego allowed six hits in the inning.

Bello pitched seven scoreless innings. He limited Cleveland to four hits, struck out five and didn't walk a batter.

The Guardians received two hits from both Manzardo and Chase DeLauter.

The Red Sox pulled within a run by scoring three times in the fifth. After Marcelo Mayer drove in Mickey Gasper with an RBI single and Kiner-Falefa scored on Caleb Durbin's double, Mayer made it 4-3 by scoring on Jarren Duran's sacrifice fly.

Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi was pulled with one out in the fifth. He gave up three runs on seven hits. Colin Holderman (3-0) picked up the win for recording the next four outs after Cecconi left the mound.

Boston's Willson Contreras extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the fourth inning. Contreras also singled with two outs in the eighth.

Nick Sogard pinch ran for Contreras in the eighth and moved to third on Masataka Yoshida's single, but both runners were stranded when Gasper grounded out to first to end the inning. Gasper, Mayer and Kiner-Falefa each had two hits in the loss.

Boston was seeking its fourth straight road victory.