Ceddanne Rafaela’s pinch-hit, two-run single with two outs and two strikes in the seventh inning lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 8-6 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers in their annual Patriots’ Day game Monday.
The Red Sox exploded for six runs across their final three innings and finished the game with 12 hits, including two apiece by Masataka Yoshida, Caleb Durbin and Carlos Narvaez.
An inning after reliever Greg Weissert struck out three straight Tigers with two on and then tied the game at 3-3, the Red Sox opened the floodgates with a three-run seventh against Detroit reliever Tyler Holton (0-1) and held on after Detroit’s ninth-inning rally.
Red Sox starter Sonny Gray (right hamstring tightness) exited after 2 2/3 innings, forcing seven relievers into work. Garrett Whitlock (2-1) earned the win after a scoreless frame.
Hao-Yu Lee, Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene had multi-hit games for Detroit.
In Boston’s seventh, Yoshida singled to center and Trevor Story walked to start the threat before Durbin’s grounder up the middle loaded the bases.
Rafaela followed with the key two-run hit to right, though Durbin was cut down trying to score on an errant relay throw. Narvaez delivered another insurance run with a two-out knock.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove a two-run single to right an inning later.
Detroit logged three hits in four batters against Ryan Watson in the ninth, including a Gleyber Torres RBI knock to right. Aroldis Chapman recorded the final two outs, but not before Greene’s double to center scored two more.
The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the second. Durbin walked and Marcelo Mayer blooped a single into center with one out, and Narvaez’s squeeze bunt forced an error that scored Durbin. Three batters later, Wilyer Abreu drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk.
In the third, Jake Rogers sent an RBI single to left to halve Detroit’s deficit.
Lee’s inaugural MLB hit dropped into center to tie the game with two outs in the fourth.
Boston did not capitalize on two more of Detroit starter Jack Flaherty’s six walks before the end of his 3 1/3-inning outing. After reliever Brant Hurter held the tied score, two walks and Jahmai Jones’ RBI knock to center off Boston’s Jovani Moran put Detroit in front at 3-2 in the sixth.
Anthony’s single up the middle plated Narvaez to even the score for Boston in the sixth.
