PHILADELPHIA -- Even though the Red Sox had left the friendly confines of Fenway Park for two games in the City of Brotherly Love, the Boston faithful made Citizens Bank Park feel just as welcome.

That was clear from the get-go on Wednesday night, when the first three Red Sox batters collected hits -- and instead of boos from a Philly crowd known for them, it was more cheering than jeering coming from the announced crowd of just over 28,000.

The change in cities certainly didn't make a difference in outcome, as the Red Sox downed the Phillies for the third straight game, scoring five runs in the first two innings and coming away with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday night.

Mookie Betts powered the Boston offense, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, three RBIs and four runs scored. In falling a triple short of the cycle, the right fielder raised his average to .280 while becoming the first Boston player this season with double-digit home runs (11)

Both home runs were solos -- one in the fourth inning and one in the ninth for his team's final two runs of the night.

"I'm just putting a lot of work in, just trying to trust my ability and trust the work that I've put in," Betts said. "Seeing a couple balls fall in gives some confidence, and we go from there."

It's the eighth win in 11 games for Boston, moving the Red Sox a season-best nine games above .500 (37-28). Their last three have come against the MLB-worst Phillies (21-43), who saw their losing streak extended to eight.

"When things aren't going good, as a starting pitcher, I think we put a little too much pressure on ourselves," said Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson, who took the loss for the fourth time in five starts. "I've just got to get back to work and try to figure some stuff out, just get back to being consistent and giving us a chance."

After the teams played 11 innings on Monday and 12 on Tuesday in two games in Boston, the Red Sox tried to make sure early on that no more than nine innings would be needed as the matchup continued a couple hundred miles down I-95.

Boston plated two runners in the first inning and three in the second against Hellickson (5-5), getting an RBI double from Xander Bogaerts in the first and a two-run single from the shortstop in the second to open a 5-0 lead.

Boston starter Brian Johnson, who cruised through the first two innings in 23 pitches, didn't make it out of the third Wednesday night. The left-hander, making his fourth start of the season at the major league level, gave up three runs and four hits during a span of six batters in the third inning, including a two-run homer off the bat of Phillies right fielder Aaron Altherr that cut it to 5-3.

Johnson departed because of "discomfort" in his throwing shoulder after the next batter doubled.

"He felt some increasing stiffness and the inability to get loose with each successive inning here tonight until in the third inning he had to come out," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Hopefully, we caught it early enough, so it isn't a severe situation."

Red Sox reliever Hector Velasquez (1-1) was stout in relief, pitching 3 1/3 innings of scoreless ball to come away with his first career victory.

Hellickson made it through the first batter of the sixth inning, giving up a double to Sandy Leon, before he was pulled after 93 pitches as he struggled yet again. He gave up six runs and nine hits, walking three while striking out one, blaming an inability to locate his fastball properly with getting hit hard right out of the game.

That has been a recurring problem of late. Since ending April with a 4-0 record and a 1.80 ERA, Hellickson is 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA.

"The last month and a half has been pretty frustrating," he said. "Sprinkled a couple good (starts) in there, but I just pride myself on being consistent and giving us a chance to win every night, and I haven't done that too often the last seven or eight starts."

NOTES: The Phillies and Red Sox conclude their four-game, two-city series Thursday, with Boston RHP Chris Sale (8-2, 2.97 ERA) going up against Philadelphia rookie RHP Nick Pivetta (1-3, 5.52). ... Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning double. He's batting .375 during that span. ... Boston relievers have not given up a run in their last 21 1/3 innings. ... The Phillies are 0-8 in interleague play this season. Since interleague play began in 1997, Philadelphia's 153-200 record is the third worst in baseball.