DETROIT (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran homered in the 10th inning as the Boston Red Sox rebounded after squandering a four-run lead and beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Friday night.
The Tigers trailed 4-0 heading in the eighth inning, but rallied and forced extra innings by scoring three times in the eighth and once in the ninth.
But, Rafaela’s 14th homer off Shelby Miller (6-8) scored Nick Sogard and made it 6-4 with one out in the 10th. Duran, who doubled in his first two at-bats, hit Tyler Holton‘s first pitch 431 feet into the right-field stands to make it a three-run game at 7-4.
Chris Martin pitched the 10th for Boston, allowing the automatic runner Riley Greene to score on a groundout before earning his second save.
Connor Wong doubled and homered for the Red Sox (70-65), who moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Tigers (68-68) for fourth in the American League wild-card race.
Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer off Brennan Bernardino in the eighth inning to rally the Tigers and end Detroit’s 21-inning scoreless drought.
Zach McKinstry led off the ninth with a single off Kenley Jansen and stole second. Colt Keith struck out before Jake Rogers tied the game with a double to left.
Jansen (4-2) picked up the win.
Red Sox starter Tanner Houck allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six in six shutout innings
Tigers starter Casey Mize allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in six innings. He gave up four doubles and a homer in his first start since a hamstring strain on June 30.
Duran’s early doubles helped Boston to a 2-0 lead. He scored in the first and moved Romy Gonzalez to third in the third, where he scored on Wilyer Abreu‘s sacrifice fly.
Houck hit Rogers and Greene in the third, but escaped the inning without harm.
The Red Sox moved out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth when Tyler O’Neill walked, stole second and scored on Wong’s double.
Detroit didn’t get a hit until McKinstry led off the fifth with a single, but he was thrown out trying to take third on Parker Meadows‘ base hit to right.
Wong made it 4-0 with a homer in the sixth.
UP NEXT
The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday — the day the Tigers honor their 1984 World Series champions. Detroit ace LHP Tarik Skubal (15-4, 2.58 ERA) will face RHP Nick Pavetta (5-9, 4.61).
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