Ceddanne Rafaela's tie-breaking two-run single helps Red Sox to 8-6 Patriots' Day win over Tigers
BOSTON (AP) — Pinch hitter Ceddanne Rafaela had a tiebreaking, two-run infield single in the seventh inning and the Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 8-6 on Monday in Boston’s annual Patriots’ Day game to salvage a split of their four-game series. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also had a two-run single for the Red Sox, who halted a two-game skid. The Tigers lost for just the second time in 10 games after taking the last two.
The game coincided with the running of the Boston Marathon . The Red Sox wore their special “Boston” home white jerseys, which debuted as a tribute to the city after the marathon bombings in 2013. Boston starter Sonny Gray left the game in the third inning with right hamstring tightness.
Garrett Whitlock (2-1), the sixth of eight Red Sox pitchers, worked a perfect inning for the victory. Aroldis Chapman got the last two outs for his fourth save. Rafaela’s grounder off reliever Tyler Holton (0-1) put the Red Sox ahead 5-3.
Rafaela advanced to second on a throw to the plate that cut down a runner, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Carlos Narváez’s single. The Tigers had taken a 3-2 edge in the sixth on Jahmai Jones’ pinch-hit RBI single before the Red Sox tied it in the bottom half on Roman Anthony’s single. Detroit starter Jack Flaherty lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up two unearned runs and three hits.
He walked six and had three strikeouts. Gray gave up a run on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. Up next Tigers: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday when RHP Keider Montero (1-1, 3.