Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida rose to the top of the American League batting chart with a .319 average after going 3-for-4 with an RBI in an 8-6 win over the New York Mets in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader.
The 30-year-old major league rookie had three singles beginning with a line drive to left field off Max Scherzer in the first inning at Fenway Park.
In the third, Yoshida's ground ball in his second at-bat struck Scherzer's feet and he reached second following a throwing error by the right-hander.
Yoshida, a two-time Japanese Pacific League batting champion, added another single to left off reliever Trevor Gott to plate a run for a 6-3 lead.
"I got a hit in my first at-bat against Scherzer, one of the best pitchers in MLB. As for my second hit, I was lucky with where it went," Yoshida said. "I'm hitting when I feel I can rather than looking at the ball and adjusting to it, and am fixing things during at-bats if I'm off the mark."
The Red Sox's James Paxton (6-2) allowed three runs in six innings of work for the win. Scherzer (8-4) was charged with five runs in six innings.
In Game 1, Yoshida was 0-for-3 with a walk, while Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga got a no-decision after allowing three runs, two earned, in 3⅓ innings. The Mets won 5-4.
Among other Japanese players, Shohei Ohtani went hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts in the Los Angeles Angels' 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in an 8-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.