SAN DIEGO -- Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida entered Friday against the Padres batting .222 (12-for-54) with an extremely high 68.2% ground ball percentage and just one walk in 16 games this season.

His only homer was against a position player.

During his pregame media availability, manager Alex Cora pointed out that Yoshida was hitting the ball on the ground too often and not walking enough.

But Cora then added, "We trust the guy. That's why he's playing tonight."

Yoshida delivered out of the five hole in the batting order. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, double and RBI sac fly to help the Red Sox win 10-2 over San Diego at Petco Park.

"He worked hard today with the group," Cora said. "The batting practice was a little bit different today. He was driving the ball and he took that into the game. He put (together) some good at-bats."

Boston activated Yoshida from the 60-day IL on July 9 after he recovered slowly from a right shoulder labral repair that he underwent last October.

"Just trying to hit it hard," Yoshida said through translator Yutaro Yamaguchi when asked about his different BP. "Just making hard contact."

His 365-foot, 101 mph RBI sac fly with the bases loaded against former teammate Nick Pivetta in the fourth made it 1-0 Boston. He also hit a ground-rule double down the left field line in the sixth and launched a 377-foot, 103 mph two-run homer to right field in the ninth inning.

One of his outs was also a 302-foot fly out to left field.

"It's hard to be perfect," Yoshida said. "Every day you find something that you can work on. So just like I said, trial and error and kind of just get myself ready."