BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Wyatt Langford and Kyle Higashioka homered in back-to-back innings to start the game, and the visiting Texas Rangers avoided a three-game series sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox with a 6-4 win on Sunday night.

The Rangers tagged Boston starter Connelly Early (5-5) for six runs and 11 hits through the first 4 2/3 innings and totaled 13 knocks in the game.

Beyond the long balls, Brandon Nimmo (2-for-5) hit a clutch two-RBI double in the fourth inning, while Justin Foscue went 3-for-3 with a run scored. Higashioka and Cody Freeman also had multiple hits.

The early offense stood tall as Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi (6-7) pitched seven innings, striking out six while working around three runs and six hits.

Willson Contreras homered twice on his 3-for-4 night and Masataka Yoshida went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored to lead the Red Sox, who have lost five of their last seven games.

With the Tartan Army filling the Fenway Park stands after Scotland’s World Cup win in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday, Early was tagged for a first-pitch leadoff home run for a second consecutive start. Langford crushed a solo shot completely over the Green Monster and out of the ballpark to lift Texas to an immediate 1-0 lead in the first inning.

The Rangers busted open the score with three straight hits to start the second. After Foscue and Cody Freeman stung back-to-back singles to center, Higashioka drove them both home with a three-run shot that just cleared the left-field wall.

After Eovaldi set down his former team 1-2-3 to start the game, Contreras went deep to left to get Boston on the scoreboard at 4-1. The inning continued with Caleb Durbin drawing a one-out walk and Isiah Kiner-Falefa knocking an infield single over second base. After a wild pitch moved both into scoring position, Marcelo Mayer’s RBI grounder made it a two-run game.

Early escaped a two-on jam without any damage in the third, but Texas extended its lead in the following frame. Alejandro Osuna started the rally with a one-out single, then back-to-back walks preceded Nimmo’s key double high off the Monster.

While Greg Weissert (1 1/3 innings), Ryan Watson (two innings) and Tommy Kahnle (one inning) teamed up for scoreless relief, Boston inched closer when Contreras knocked another solo shot out to deep left with two outs in the sixth, making it a 6-3 game.

In the eighth, Yoshida’s one-out knock got the Sox started, and he scored on Abreu’s liner to right two batters later.

Contreras followed with his third hit, but Jacob Latz entered to induce an inning-ending grounder from Jarren Duran before dealing a scoreless ninth to finalize his 11th save.

–Field Level Media

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – After their first home series win since April, the Boston Red Sox go for a series sweep against the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday evening.

The Red Sox are now 2-8-1 this season in home series and interim manager Chad Tracy knows if Boston is going to climb out of the American League East cellar, it will have to improve its performance at home.

“It’s been a minute (since a home series win) and it feels good,” Tracy said. “It’s no secret. We all know we have to play better at home. We played two really good ball games and now have a chance to go sweep a series. It feels good for the guys for sure.”

While Red Sox fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about at home, Ceddanne Rafaela changed that – for an afternoon anyway – with a clutch, two-run go-ahead single that came with two outs in the seventh to give Boston a 4-2 lead.

The 25-year-old center fielder ranks second on Boston in batting average (.291), doubles (14) and stolen bases (seven).

“Every win matters,” Rafaela said. “Especially at home. I want the fans to be happy, that’s what we are showing up for to try and accomplish.”

With two straight wins, Jarren Duran said Boston has to stay focused as it has the chance to get on a roll. Duran launched a two-run homer in the eighth to provide the Red Sox bullpen with breathing room.

“We are picking it up, which is good,” Duran said. “We just need to put our heads down and keep going.”

Boston starter Connelly Early (5-4, 3.30 ERA) is scheduled to make his first career appearance against the Rangers. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in a 3-1 loss in his last start at the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

The Rangers will counter with Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 4.26 ERA), who took the loss in a 5-3 setback at the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. The veteran right-hander surrendered four runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

In 12 appearances, including 11 starts, against one of his former teams, Eovaldi is 4-1 with a 4.68 ERA. He’s racked up 46 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.

After scoring just four runs in the first two games of the series – a 10-1 loss on Friday and a 6-3 setback on Saturday – Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said his club’s offense has to provide more support for its pitching staff.

“The challenge for us is providing more cushion on the offensive side for our starting pitchers,” Schumaker said.

Jake Burger provided some offense with a solo shot in the eighth, his 100th career home run. Burger leads the Rangers in homers (12) and RBIs (42).

Michael Helman also contributed to the Rangers’ offensive output with an RBI sacrifice fly that tied the game 2-2 in the fourth. But the center fielder, who has 30 at-bats in 15 games, was hit by a pitch on his right hand in the eighth, and after being checked out by the Rangers’ training staff at first base, he exited the game.

“Michael has multiple fractures in at least one finger, if not two,” Schumaker said. “He will be out for a bit, (the pitch) got him pretty good.”
-Field Level Media

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief, Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The ballgame was tied 1-1, going into the top of the 3rd inning. Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman singled to left-center field with one out and Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early was throwing darts.

But …

Batter-up, Pete Alonso.

Alonso was floating in the wind for two seasons as he completed a stellar career playing for the New York Mets. Aside from Mets retired third baseman, David Wright, Alonso was the face of the franchise and very well liked and respected by the fans. But, the Mets were beginning a re-build and both time and money were short.

The Mets signed Alonso to a couple short-term contracts when he was seeking, at least a five year deal. Then, last summer Alonso opted for free agency and hit the jackpot with the Orioles, signing a 5-year, $155 million contract that pays him $31m this season, then $33m for four more years. It was a major commitment by the O’s.

The Red Sox stood by and watched, never a serious bidder, and instead signed Willson Contreras, currently the club’s No. 4/clean-up hitter and the most consistent bat on the team. Contreras has 11 home runs and 33 RBI – not too shabby.

But Tuesday night, the fans in Fenway Park – both Red Sox and busloads of Orioles fans – witnessed what might have been if the Sox had taken an aggressive play at Alonso.

As the third batter up in the 3rd inning, Alonso hit a ball 400 feet at 110.8 mph and it was rising as it cleared the Green Monster and then plugged a seat so hard, the Fenway Park and Boston building inspectors might need to take a look later tonight, or maybe Wednesday morning when the steam subsides. It was a glimpse of “what might have been” for the Red Sox is they truly went after the long ball hitting free agent – either in 2024 or 2025.

It wasn’t meant to be for the Sox, and Alonso’s homer put the Orioles ahead 3-1. Baltimore followed up with an insurance run in the fourth inning to make it 4-1.

Boston’s Mickey Gasper scored in the 5th inning, the result of a single, a wild pitch, advancing to third base on a ground-out and then scoring on a Marcelo Mayer sacrifice fly to center field.

Baltimore starter Shane Baz went seven full innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs while walking two and striking out six Boston batters. He was credited with the win and is now (3-5).

Boston’s Connelly Early pitched well, but allowed four earned runs in 5.1 innings. He allowed six hits of which two were home runs. (Coby Mayo’s seventh, hit in the 2nd inning. Early walked only one batter and struck out six. He threw 96 pitches and 64 were strikes. Two were mistakes.

Baltimore and Boston continue their three-game series Wednesday night when Chris Bassitt (4-3) takes the mound for the Orioles and rookie Payton Tolle (2-2) starts for Boston. Baltimore is three games ahead of the AL East cellar-dwelling Red Sox.

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BOSTON – (Wire Service preview) – Quality at-bats and quality starts are what it’s all about in baseball.

The Boston Red Sox hope that both trends can continue as they return home to host the Baltimore Orioles for the first time this season, opening a three-game series with their American League East rival on Tuesday night.

After Boston rode a six-run seventh inning to a series-clinching 9-4 win at the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, rookie Connelly Early (5-2, 2.95 ERA) will take the ball looking to deliver another quality start. The 24-year-old left-hander has worked at least six innings in five of his last eight outings.

Sunday’s win saw Boston log 12 hits — including at least one from all nine starting batters — with Masataka Yoshida highlighting the big inning with a go-ahead two-run single.

“You got to tie the game before you can take the lead, so those were really quality at-bats,” interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said. “We keep stacking on after that to get into a comfortable lead.”

Tracy’s lineup also has Isiah Kiner-Falefa riding a seven-game hit streak, while Caleb Durbin tripled as part of his second consecutive multi-RBI effort.

While left-hander Garrett Crochet deals with left lat tightness in a setback of his return from shoulder inflammation, the Red Sox hope that Early can continue the team’s recent momentum. He pitched seven scoreless, four-hit innings with seven strikeouts en route to his win over the Atlanta Braves last time out on Wednesday.

“After what he did last year for us in the playoffs, I feel like he had to grow up pretty quick,” outfielder Jarren Duran said of Early. “Some of us forget he’s a rookie and he’s doing the things that he’s doing.”

Early faced the Orioles for the first time in his career on April 26, recording the win and allowing just a pair of solo home runs on four hits through 6 2/3 innings.

The Red Sox are just 9-19 at home. Early’s performance came in the only win of Boston’s last homestand — a 1-5 stretch against the Minnesota Twins and Braves.

Though the Orioles sit just ahead of the Red Sox at the bottom of the division standings, they’ve put together one of their most consistent runs of the season.

A 9-5 Sunday win against the Toronto Blue Jays was Baltimore’s seventh on a season-high 10-game homestand it entered having lost five of six. Colton Cowser hit a three-run homer and drove in four to lead the support of Kyle Bradish, who allowed just one unearned run over seven innings.

“I’m not going to say the team needed it, but I think it’s one of those things that is encouraging and keeps morale up, keeps confidence up, and hopefully (we’ll) continue to build momentum,” said Cowser.

Manager Craig Albernaz agrees.

“We were playing the baseball that we’re capable of,” he said. “Just all the work that these guys have been putting in relentlessly every day, we’re starting to see the rewards now, and against some really good teams. It’s been fun to watch.”

Confidence has gone a long way on the mound as well. Shane Baz (2-5, 4.48) has been a part of it, putting together back-to-back solid starts ahead of taking the mound at Fenway Park.

Baz notched a season-high nine strikeouts across seven innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays last Tuesday. It was his third straight start working at least six frames and his second straight allowing just one run.

The right-hander, who has spent his entire five-season career in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays and Orioles, is 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA in five career starts against the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – A six-run seventh inning propelled the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 9-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series. Boston trailed 4-3 entering the seventh and scored all six runs with two outs. The inning included a two-run single by left fielder Masataka Yoshida, who had misplayed a fly ball in the fifth that allowed Cleveland to score the game-tying run.

Jarren Duran hit his 10th home run of the season for the Red Sox. It extended his hitting streak to eight games. Every player in Boston’s lineup had at least one hit in the victory.

Chase DeLauter and David Fry each collected three hits for the Guardians.

The Red Sox lineup didn’t include Willson Contreras or Ceddanne Rafaela. Contreras, who is dealing with a lingering hand/wrist issue, entered in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement. Rafaela was a late scratch with lower back tightness.

Jovani Moran (2-1) earned the win for pitching 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after Ranger Suarez tossed 10 strikeouts but allowed all four of Cleveland’s runs over the first five frames.

Colin Holderman (3-1) took the loss. He recorded one out and allowed two of Boston’s six runs in the seventh.

After Duran led off the game with a home run, Cleveland took a 2-1 lead in the second when Austin Hedges drove in Fry and Rhys Hoskins with a two-run single.

Boston regained the lead by scoring twice in the fifth. Mickey Gasper’s sacrifice fly drove in Marcelo Mayer, and Connor Wong scored on Wilyer Abreu’s single to put the Red Sox up 3-2.

Cleveland tied the game when Yoshida didn’t see a Jose Ramirez fly ball that dropped in for a double and allowed Brayan Rocchio to score. DeLauter followed with a single that drove in Ramirez to give the Guardians a 4-3 lead.

It was 4-4 after Cleveland reliever Tim Herrin walked Abreu with the bases loaded in the seventh. After Yoshida’s two-run single extended Boston’s lead to 6-4, Isiah Kiner-Falefa came up with a run-scoring single that drove in Abreu, and Caleb Durbin tripled to score Yoshida and Kiner-Falefa to make it 9-4.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee went six innings and struck out five while scattering three runs and six hits.

–Field Level Media

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – Connor Wong hasn’t seen much action of late behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox, so he has to maximize every opportunity he receives.

Thanks to his big game Saturday, the Red Sox have a chance at earning a rare series victory against the host Cleveland Guardians.

Boston will send left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.02 ERA) to the mound against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57) today, seeking its sixth series triumph in 19 sets this season.

Wong drove in three runs, including the go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and had a pair of hits for the Red Sox in a 9-1 win. It was just his third start at catcher in a 22-day span as Mickey Gasper and Carlos Narvaez have taken most of the playing time.

“Just a really, really good performance by a guy who hasn’t played much,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Don’t forget, he also had a rocket in the second that (Daniel Schneemann) made a great play on in center. Most days, that falls for a double here.”

Wong finished 2-for-5 with a run and was able to wear the Red Sox’s prized Wally the Green Monster mascot head for the first time, only to have a replay review by crew chief John Tumpane take away the home run that earned him the privilege.

The 30-year-old’s double in the sixth was initially called a homer, which would have been his first since 2024, but the MLB command center ruled the ball had struck the yellow line atop the fence before hitting the guardrail.

“It sucks that was taken away,” said Wong, who is a .442 hitter with five homers and 12 RBIs in 13 career  games against Cleveland. “I still think it was a homer. I wish I could have appealed it myself. But any time you get the win, it feels great.”

Wong played a significant role defensively as well, as winning pitcher Sonny Gray allowed only one run in six innings and credited him for calming him down after a rough first inning.

“He’s great back there,” Gray said. “I was happy for him with the way he played today.”

Suarez has either been terrific or terrible in his first 10 starts for Boston, giving up four or more runs in four of them — and one total run in the other six outings. He was rocked for a season-high five runs in a loss to the visiting Atlanta Braves in his last game on May 26.

In three career appearances against Cleveland, all as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Suarez is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

The American League Central Division-leading Guardians have endured a historically bad first two months from Bibee. His low point occurred on May 25, giving up a franchise record-tying five homers in three innings during a 10-2 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals.

“I thought it was a lack of execution, and we just haven’t seen that from Tanner,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It was a tough one, just a lot of mistakes over the middle. He didn’t have much. That was it.”

Bibee went exactly five innings in both of his previous games against Boston, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The Red Sox have worked him for four walks and struck out only five times.

A roster move could be in the offing for the Guardians, who are now without two starting outfielders. Left fielder Angel Martinez is scheduled to have an MRI after exiting Saturday’s game with left foot inflammation in the fifth inning.

Center fielder Steven Kwan, a multiple-time Gold Glove winner in left, remains on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Stuart Fairchild was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take his place and went 0-for-2 with a throwing error on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a grand slam and Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies also homered to propel the visiting Braves to a 10-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

Acuna’s home run, his third of the season, came against reliever Greg Weissert and was part of a five-run sixth inning that handed Atlanta a 7-2 lead.

Harris hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to extend Atlanta’s lead to 8-2, and Albies finalized the scoring with a two-run homer in the ninth. Albies had three hits for the Braves, who won two games in the three-game series.

Chris Sale (8-3) limited the Red Sox to two runs in five innings to earn the win. He allowed six hits, walked three and struck out eight. Danny Coulombe (0-2), responsible for three runs in the five-run sixth, took the loss.

Boston starting pitcher Payton Tolle was pulled with two outs in the fifth. He gave up two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out seven.

Boston’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa had two hits and reached base four times. The Red Sox also received two hits from Caleb Durbin.

The Braves grabbed a 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the fourth. After Matt Olson scored on a Jorge Mateo single, Dominic Smith hit an RBI single that drove in Albies to make it 2-0.

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – In memory of media mogul – the late, great Ted Turner – the one time owner of the Atlanta Braves and SuperStation TBS, tonight’s Braves vs. Boston Red Sox is dedicated to the legion of fans created when Turner decided to launch his SuperStation and place his Braves games on every cable television household in America.

For the youngsters in the group, back in the days of black and white television, there were 13 slots for television channels and a number of them went unused. There were three networks with national programming (ABC, CBS, and NBC). In each local market, there were a handful of others. As an example, in New York, there was Channel 5 (Metromedia, as FOX TV was yet to be a thing), then WOR TV – Channel 9 (which carried the Mets, Knicks and NHL Rangers), WPIX-TV 11 (which carried the Yankees), and Public Broadcasting, Channel 13.

When Cable TV first made its way through suburban and city households and apartments, the channel selection increased to a maximum of 33 slots, many were used by teletype messaging and music, as broadcasters had yet to adjust to the new availability and the eventuality that one day, there’d be an unlimited universe of cable tv channels.

Home Box Office (HBO) was an early adapter and with it came first run movies and some sports. HBO launched on November 8, 1972 with a New York Rangers vs Vancouver Canucks game, live from Madison Square Garden. By 1980, HBO launched Cinemax and the whole concept of premium channels to headline “basic cable” came about.

Turner was smart enough to grab a slot on basic cable and the larger number of households it served. The Braves and, to some extent, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, became regular programming in homes all over the United States. With that exposure, Turner created his SuperStation, a golden opportunity for advertisers and, little did we know – fans – all over the States.

Of course, along with the Superstation came a little gem called Cable News Network – “CNN” – and then CNN Headline News, TNT, and a host of other channels which originated in Turner’s burgeoning Techwood Drive and Peachtree Street studios in Atlanta. Along with the multitude of programming, along came “man’s best friend,” the remote control. (In fact, we lovingly call our remote control, “Ted,” as in … “Can you please pass “Ted” over to me?”

With all of that as background, let us examine the crowd at Fenway Park for tonight, the second game of a three-game series between the Red Sox and Braves.

Fenway is packed with Braves fans. In some cases, there might be three generations of Braves fans in the groups, and most of them are not from Georgia. Braves fans are everywhere. The oldsters can be identified because of their Greg Maddux or Chipper Jones uniforms and sometimes you might even see a Henry Aaron or Rico Carty replica. Then come the John Smoltz or Phil Niekro uniforms, and don’t forget Dale Murphy and Andruw Jones.

It all added up to national fandom, and to a great degree, the Braves earned the respect and admiration of their massive fanbase. The Braves posted 14 consecutive divisional crowns, and a couple World Series banners, to boot.

The Braves’ faithful enjoyed the series opener, an exciting 7-6 Braves’ win on Tuesday night at Fenway.

On Wednesday, maybe the TV audience changed channels to TruTV for the Carolina vs Montreal NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game? If they stayed for the Red Sox game, the fans would’ve seen Boston’s biggest inning at Fenway since a September 14, 2025 opening stanza against the New York Yankees.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, the Sox bats awoke. The outburst, combined with a stellar effort by Boston starter Connelly Early, resulted in an 8-0 Red Sox win on Wednesday night.

Base hits, walks, a couple Braves’ errors, a wild pitch, a stolen base and three consecutive singles by Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu placed six runs on the scoreboard, five of them earned and the barrage sent Atlanta starter Bryce Elder packing before reliever Dylan Dodd walked to the mound to ease the pain. Elder lasted only 3.1 innings and gave up nine hits.

On the flip side, Boston’s promising pitcher, Early, tossed seven innings of scoreless baseball, allowing only four hits with three walks. He struck out seven Atlanta batters and threw an efficient 97 pitches of which 65 were strikes. He earned his fifth win of the season (5-2).

The Braves and their fans will live to see another game, a Thursday afternoon rubber-game with a 4:10pm EDT start. Braves’ pitcher Chris Sale, the former Red Sox ace, will face Boston rookie lefty, Payton Tolle (2-2, 2.45 ERA). Braves fans will flock to Fenway, once again, while others tune-in on Braves Vision rather than TBS, as there’s been a lot of chance since the 1970s when SuperStations were king and Braves owner, Ted Turner, owned the throne.

Editor’s Note:

Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and a pioneering figure in the media industry, passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age of 87. His death marked the end of a remarkable career that transformed how news is consumed and established Atlanta as a media hub.

Early Life and Career
Birth: November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Education: Attended Brown University and served in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Business Beginnings: Took over his father’s billboard company after his father’s death in 1963.

Media Innovations
Turner Broadcasting System: Launched in 1970 with the purchase of a UHF station, which became TBS.
CNN: Founded on June 1, 1980, as the first 24-hour news channel, revolutionizing news broadcasting.

Contributions and Achievements
Sports Ownership: Acquired the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and the Atlanta Hawks in 1977, significantly impacting Atlanta’s sports culture.
Philanthropy: Donated over $1 billion to various causes, including the United Nations Foundation and environmental initiatives.

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Boston Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez retired the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves in order in the top of the first of this three game series between the National League East leader and the American League East cellar-dwellers. That brought Red Sox lead-off hitter, Jarren Duran to the plate to face (one of) Atlanta’s ace pitchers, Spencer Strider.

Strider returned to the Braves’ starting rotation May 3 after being placed on the club’s injured list on March 25, after a left oblique strain sidelined him in the final week of Spring Training. Strider worked his way back by making three minor league rehab appearances in April, going 0-1, but with a steady 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched. He also recorded 18 strike-outs in those 12 innings between the High A Rome franchise and Triple A Gwinnett.

Not bad, right?

Strider’s even tougher than that.

Tuesday night against the Sox at Fenway, Strider made his fifth start of the 2026 season. He owned a 2-0 record (and 3.00ERA) going into the game and considering the Braves are 51-27 in Strider’s starts, things weren’t looking too bright for the hometown nine.

Consider one more interesting nugget: Strider owned a .631 winning percentage (41-24) in his career with Atlanta, the third best mark among Braves pitchers since 1966 (at least 80 starts). That means Strider only trails Baseball Hall of Famers Greg Maddux (.688) and active phenom (and current New York Yankees’ ace) Max Fried (.670). Strider ranks ahead of Hall of Famer Tom Glavine (.624) on that Braves totem pole (no disrespectful pun intended).

Duran, batting .193 as the game began, decided Strider’s resume wasn’t all that impressive and rocketed an (0-1) pitch some 412 feet for his seventh home run of the season. It was his 10th career lead-off home run. It was highly unusual for both Duran and Strider, for sure. But, then Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela stepped up to the plate and hit another whopper.

Rafaela’s homer travelled only 368 feet but went out of the ballpark at 101 mph to make the score Red Sox 2, Braves 0 before the 34,126 fans settled into their seats at the beloved joint. It marked the first time the Red Sox had back-to-back, lead-off homers since May 31, 2016 in Baltimore.

Strider settled in and the Braves gradually hacked away at that 2-0 deficit.

Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson tied the game in the fifth inning with a 2-run blast off Suarez. Olson’s homer traveled 428 feet at 105 mph and it brought Mauricio Dubon to the plate as well.

In Atlanta’s half of the sixth, a pair of doubles bookending a walk created three runs for the Braves with OF Michael Harris II providing the effort for two RBI to give the Braves a 5-2 lead.

The Sox picked up a couple runs, one in the sixth on a Mickey Gasper ground out (GIDP) that scored Wilyer Abreu and in the seventh on a Isiah Kiner-Falefa home run.

With the Braves leading 7-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias got the call but looked quite shakey in his attempt to put the lights out on Boston. Iglesias gave up a lead-off single to Gasper, then a double to second baseman Nick Sogard. Both Gasper and Sogard scored later in the inning when Kiner-Falefa singled.

Atlanta dug in on defense, made a tough SS Ha-Seong Kim to 3B Austin Riley force-out, then after a Duran single, Iglesius retired Abreu to end the game and preserve a 7-6 Atlanta victory.

Strider earned the win, his third, and Iglesias – somehow – placed a save in his column, the ninth for the veteran reliever while Sox starter, Ranger Suarez, took the loss. He’s (2-3) on the year after allowing five earned runs with six hits and three walks in his five innings pitched.

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