Mookie Betts broke out his bat in a big way as he homered and drove in four runs to help the Boston Red Sox overpower the Washington Nationals 9-4 Monday in the Red Sox' 2015 home opener.

With his team leading 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Betts took a 1-1 fastball from Washington's Jordan Zimmermann into the Monster seats in left field for a three-run missile (2). The ball took approximately 3.5 seconds to leave the bat and land in a fan's hands high above the field and give the Red Sox a four-run lead.

Xander Bogaerts (error) and Sandy Leon (single) were on base and scored ahead of Betts on the home run.

Betts added a fourth RBI in the third with a single that scored Mike Napoli. That hit made the score 7-0, but it was how the inning started that led to a four-run rally. Zimmermann plunked two straight hitters, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, to start the inning. Napoli followed with a single to load the bases. One out later, Bogaerts, Leon, and Betts each singled home the runners in succession. Betts's single knocked Zimmerman out of the game. Dustin Pedroia then brought home Bogaerts to run the score to 8-0.

Betts also robbed Bryce Harper of a home run in the top of the first and stole two bases on the same pitch in the bottom of the inning. Here is a run-down of the great game Betts had.

Big Papi, AKA David Ortiz, added one more on a home run (2) of his own, a mammoth solo shot off Tanner Roark in the bottom of the sixth.

Washington did not fade easily. They fought back for four runs by scoring two in the fifth on Ryan Zimmerman's solo home run (2) and Danny Espinosa's RBI groundout. They got single runs in the seventh (Ian Desmond RBI groundout) and eighth (Espinosa home run, 1). 

Rick Porcello (W: 1-1, 3.86 ERA) pitched eight innings, scattering four runs (three earned) on four hits. He walked one, struck out six, and served up both solo home runs. Junichi Tazawa struck out the side (with one walk) in the ninth to finish it off.

The Red Sox activated Koji Uehara from the 15-day disabled list before the game but did not use him. Uehara is returning from a strained left hamstring. To make room for him, the team sent reliever Tommy Lane to Triple-A Pawtuckett. 

Zimmermann (L: 1-1, 8.64) lasted only 2 1/3 innings. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits, including Betts's three-run blast. He walked one and did not strikeout a single batter. Except for Ortiz's home run, Roark pitched effectively for 3 2/3 innings in relief: one run on four hits. 

On Tuesday, Washington's Stephen Strasburg (0-1, 5.06) takes on Boston's Justin Masterson (1-0, 3.00) at 6:05 p.m. EDT.