Red Sox rally past Reds, 4-3

Published 7:35 pm Saturday, June 22, 2024

CINCINNATI (AP) — Rafael Devers drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Jarren Duran made a game-saving defensive play in the ninth as the Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Saturday.

Pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder singled home the tying run before Duran tagged on Devers’ fly ball and slid home just ahead of left fielder Stuart Fairchild’s throw.

Kenley Jansen retired the Reds in the ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances. He got a huge assist from Duran, who leaped to get his glove above the center field fence to rob Fairchild of a tying home run.

Email newsletter signup

Jansen’s save was his 434th, and he moved ahead of Baltimore’ Craig Kimbrel into sole possession of fifth on the career list.

Dominic Smith homered in the fifth inning and Connor Wong doubled home another run in the sixth as Boston overcame a rocky start by Nick Pivetta, who allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer and Elly De La Cruz had a solo shot for Cincinnati, which won the first game of the interleague series 5-2 on Friday night.

The Reds ran themselves out of two more runs. TJ Friedl was thrown out at the plate trying to score on grounder to third base in the fifth inning, and Jake Fraley was caught trying to come home on a dribbler fielded by Wong out in the front of the plate.

Frankie Montas had a solid outing for the Reds, allowing two runs and five hits through six innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Justin Wilson (1-1) was charged with the two Boston runs in the eighth.

Zack Kelly (2-1) got the final out in the seventh inning and picked up the win.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Wilyer Abreu was back in the lineup for the first time since June 2. The 24-year-old rookie was sidelined with a right ankle sprain. He had two hits and scored on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Reds Left Nick Lodolo is the scheduled starter in the series finale Sunday. The Red Sox haven’t named a starter.

Red Sox 4, Reds 3

Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Duran lf-cf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .283
Abreu rf 3 1 1 0 0 0 .273
d-Refsnyder ph-rf 1 0 1 1 0 0 .324
Wong c 4 0 1 1 0 1 .333
Devers 3b 3 0 1 1 0 0 .275
Valdez 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .211
Yoshida dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .228
Smith 1b 2 1 1 1 0 0 .230
a-González ph-1b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .271
Hamilton ss 1 0 0 0 1 0 .284
b-O’Neill ph-lf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .257
Rafaela cf-ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 .248
Totals 34 4 9 4 1 6
Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Friedl cf 5 0 2 0 0 0 .220
De La Cruz ss 5 1 3 1 0 1 .240
Candelario 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .255
Steer 1b 4 1 1 2 0 1 .234
Fraley rf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .278
India 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .246
Martini dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .203
Maile c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .198
e-Stephenson ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .243
Benson lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .194
c-Fairchild ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .213
Totals 37 3 11 3 1 8
Boston 000 011 020_4 9 0
Cincinnati 201 000 000_3 11 1

a-struck out for Smith in the 7th. b-flied out for Hamilton in the 7th. c-popped out for Benson in the 7th. d-singled for Abreu in the 8th. e-flied out for Maile in the 9th.

E–Candelario (11). LOB_Boston 5, Cincinnati 8. 2B–Abreu (15), Wong (7), O’Neill (9). HR–Smith (3), off Montas; Steer (9), off Pivetta; De La Cruz (13), off Pivetta. RBIs–Smith (22), Wong (27), Refsnyder (18), Devers (39), Steer 2 (45), De La Cruz (32). SB–Maile (2), Hamilton (21). CS–De La Cruz (7). SF–Devers.

Runners left in scoring position–Boston 4 (Rafaela, Valdez 2, Duran); Cincinnati 3 (Benson, Martini, Maile). RISP–Boston 3 for 10; Cincinnati 0 for 5.

Runners moved up_India. GIDP–Abreu.

DP–Cincinnati 1 (India, De La Cruz, Steer).

Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Pivetta 4 1-3 6 3 3 1 5 96 4.06
Bernardino 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.93
Weissert 1 2 0 0 0 1 15 2.78
Booser 2-3 1 0 0 0 0 8 3.33
Kelly, W, 2-1 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 6 1.75
Martin, H, 7 1 1 0 0 0 2 22 3.86
Jansen, S, 14-15 1 1 0 0 0 0 15 2.49
Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Montas 6 5 2 2 1 4 72 4.48
Moll, H, 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 1.56
Wilson, L, 1-1, BS, 1-2 0 3 2 2 0 0 9 6.32
Sims 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 4.01
Farmer 1 1 0 0 0 0 16 2.41

Inherited runners-scored_Bernardino 2-0, Kelly 1-0, Sims 2-1.

Umpires–Home, Manny Gonzalez; First, Todd Tichenor; Second, Nestor Ceja; Third, Cory Blaser.

T–2:53. A–31,803 (43,891).