Trevor Story homers as part of 4-hit day to help Red Sox beat Nationals 11-2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trevor Story homered and drove in four runs as part of a four-hit day, Lucas Giolito pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first game against the team that drafted him and the Boston Red Sox routed the Washington Nationals 11-2 on Friday.

Jarren Duran had three RBIs for Boston, which collected 16 hits and has won four of six since enduring a season-worst six-game skid.

Washington was denied its first three-game winning streak since taking four in a row on May 28-31.

Giolito (5-1) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven, surrendering Luis García Jr.’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. He is 2-0 with an 0.61 ERA in his last two starts.

The right-hander was the Nationals’ first-round pick in 2012 and debuted with the team four years later. Washington traded him to the Chicago White Sox in December 2016.

The Red Sox broke the game open with a seven-run fifth inning. After Boston loaded the bases, Wilyer Abreu walked in a run to make it 3-0 and Story ripped a two-run single to center to chase Washington starter Michael Soroka (3-6).

Marcelo Mayer hit reliever Zach Brzykcy’s first pitch to left to score Abreu. Three batters later, Duran hit a two-run double. He later scored on Abraham Toro’s single.

Story hit his 13th home run of the season in the eighth, a two-run blast to left off Ryan Loutos.

Soroka allowed seven runs and struck out six in four innings, matching his shortest outing of the season.

Story’s two-run single in the fifth extended Boston's lead to 5-0 and ended Soroka’s day.

Boston has won 10 of its last 11 games on the Fourth of July.

The series continues Saturday when Boston RHP Walker Buehler (5-6, 6.45 ERA) faces Washington LHP Mitchell Parker (5-8, 4.63).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story singles in two runs during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story celebrates his two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story celebrates his two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story, right, steals second base against Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, left, during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

An American flag in the shape of the continental United States is displayed on the field before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)