In a thrilling comeback that had Fenway South rocking, the Boston Red Sox turned a 2-0 deficit into a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night, thanks to a five-run seventh inning and a massive three-run homer from Jarren Duran.
Payton Tolle was the story on the mound, delivering seven dominant innings of two-run ball. The right-hander struck out eight while allowing just one hit and a walk, earning his first win of the season (1-1) and setting the stage for Boston's late-game heroics.
The Tigers struck first in the sixth inning when Matt Vierling's two-run single capitalized on a costly error by third baseman Andruw Monasterio, who overthrew the catcher on a fielder's choice. That miscue allowed Colt Keith and Jahmai Jones to score, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead that seemed to put Boston on the ropes.
But the Red Sox bats came alive in the seventh. Duran, who finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, launched a three-run homer to the opposite field — Boston's first opposite-field blast since April 1 — to flip the script and put the Sox up 3-2. Wilyer Abreu followed with an RBI single, and Marcelo Mayer drove Abreu home with a single of his own, stretching the lead to 5-2.
Detroit made it interesting in the eighth, as Dillon Dingler doubled to plate Keith and Vierling, cutting the deficit to 5-4. But the inning was interrupted by a 25-minute lightning delay, and the Tigers couldn't complete the rally. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the ninth with a hitless frame, notching his seventh save of the season and the 373rd of his illustrious career.
Ricky Vanasco (0-1) took the loss for Detroit, surrendering four runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
For Boston, the win was a showcase of depth and resilience. The Red Sox pounded out 12 hits on the night, with Duran leading the charge. However, the victory came with a concern: outfielder Roman Anthony exited the game during his first at-bat with right wrist discomfort, replaced by Masataka Yoshida in left field.
Looking ahead, the series continues Tuesday night with Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA) taking the mound for Boston against Detroit's Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA).
