BOSTON – Detroit’s Wenceel Perez had three hits and scored twice while Javier Baez drove in two key insurance runs for the Tigers, who rattled off a four-run 10th inning to finish off a come-from-behind, 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Baez hit a two-run single that highlighted the go-ahead inning against Boston reliever Cam Booser (0-2), helping Detroit salvage a four-game series split.
Riley Greene, Matt Vierling and Carson Kelly all had two hits apiece as part of Detroit’s 14-hit effort. Andrew Chafin (1-1) recorded the last four outs to earn the win.
After Detroit climbed out of a 3-0 deficit with four straight runs between the fifth and seventh innings, Boston’s Rafael Devers hit a game-tying solo shot off Alex Faedo in the eighth, clearing the Green Monster in left-center field.
In the ninth, after a Rob Refsnyder two-out single through the right side and back-to-back walks issued by two Detroit relievers, Connor Wong’s deep fly ball was caught in right to force extras.
Mark Canha’s infield single started the Tigers’ go-ahead rally in the 10th. Ibanez’s pinch-hit double inside the third base line made it 5-4 before Baez stroked a two-run, two-out single to left and Kelly doubled off the Monster to add insurance.
Devers and Jarren Duran were both 2-for-4 for Boston.
Boston struck first as Enmanuel Valdez knocked a two-out RBI single into center. Wilyer Abreu’s one-out double sparked the rally.
The Red Sox built a 3-0 lead with single runs in each of the early innings.
In the second, back-to-back singles by David Hamilton and Jarren Duran allowed Boston to double its lead. Duran ripped a liner back past Tigers starter Casey Mize (four innings, five hits, two earned runs) on the mound to make it 2-0.
A leadoff walk to Dominic Smith and a Devers triple deep into the right field corner added the third Red Sox run in the third.
Boston starter Brayan Bello allowed just two hits across the first four innings and finished 6 1/3, but Detroit got on the board in a three-hit fifth which began with an Urshela double to center and Akil Baddoo single through the right-side hole. Urshela scored the first run on a wild pitch.
Urshela hit a sacrifice fly that helped get the Tigers within 3-2 in the sixth.
After back-to-back singles with one out in the seventh ended Bello’s day, Detroit flipped the score for the first time at 4-3 on Perez’s double and a Canha groundout. Bello was charged with four runs on eight hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.
One of Boston’s ninth-inning walks was drawn by Springfield, Mass., native Jamie Westbrook, who was making his MLB debut after spending more than a decade in the minor leagues.
–Field Level Media