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Archives for August 17, 2026

Diamondbacks Aren’t Forever

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Mickey Gasper and Willson Contreras each hit a solo home run as part of a 16-hit attack that propelled the Red Sox to an 11-1 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.

Caleb Durbin and Ceddanne Rafaela each collected three hits for the Red Sox, who received two RBIs from both Gasper and Wilyer Abreu.

Boston’s Brayan Bello (5-6) held the Diamondbacks to one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings of relief to collect the win. Arizona starter Mitch Bratt (1-2) allowed three runs on four hits in three innings.

The Diamondbacks placed second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list before the game. The team did not give a reason for the move, but multiple outlets reported that Marte did not show up to Fenway Park.

The Red Sox grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Eli White that drove in Durbin and a Nick Sogard double that scored White.

It was 3-0 after Durbin drove in Contreras with a single in the third, and the Red Sox took a 4-0 lead when Sogard scored on a Rafaela double in the fourth.

Boston added three more runs to extend its advantage to 7-0 in the fifth.

Contreras led off with his 25th home run of the season. Adley Rutschman scored on Andruw Monasterio’s sacrifice fly and Durbin came home on Gasper’s groundout. Two of the three runs were unearned, as the Diamondbacks committed two errors in the outfield after the homer.

Ildemaro Vargas scored on Geraldo Perdomo’s sac fly to make it 7-1 in the top of the sixth, but Boston responded by scoring twice in the bottom half of the inning. Abreu’s single drove in Rafaela, and Abreu stretched the lead to 9-1 by scoring on a Rutschman double.

Gasper led off the seventh with his first homer of the year, and Abreu’s RBI single drove in Rafaela later in the inning to cap the scoring.

–Field Level Media

Pirates Take Series From Red Sox

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Nick Yorke had three RBIs while playing in his first game in exactly three months, while Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe each drove in two to help the host Pittsburgh Pirates secure an 8-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.

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Despite a 2 1/2-hour rain delay between the sixth and seventh innings, the Pirates secured the series victory and have won three of their past four as they attempt to stay alive in the National League postseason race. Boston has split its past four games after losing five in a row.

Yorke was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday and played for the first time since May 16 before he was optioned to the minors. Yorke’s two-run single off Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval (1-2) in the third put the Pirates ahead 6-0 and highlighted a five-run inning for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates struck for two runs in the bottom of the first after Esmerlyn Valdez hit the first of his two doubles. Reynolds and Lowe followed with back-to-back RBI singles that put Pittsburgh ahead 2-0.

The same trio kickstarted the big third inning in the same fashion. Valdez followed Jared Triolo’s single with a double, and Reynolds and Lowe followed with run-scoring singles. After Yorke’s big hit, Henry Davis pushed Pittsburgh’s lead to 7-0 on a sacrifice fly.

Connor Wong, who finished with two hits, gave the Red Sox some hope when he belted a three-run home run off Pirates reliever Hunter Barco in the fifth inning. Barco was also recalled from Triple-A on Sunday after Pittsburgh optioned right-hander Wilber Dotel and infielder Jack Brannigan.

Kirby Yates (1-5) replaced Barco in the seventh when play resumed and pitched a scoreless inning.

Sandoval gave up seven runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out six over four innings. Raymond Burgos, who was recalled Sunday from Triple-A Worcester, pitched four innings — and remained in the game even after the rain delay — as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk, and had one strikeout.