The Boston Red Sox would build leads of 7-1 and 9-2 Wednesday afternoon, and then held on for a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in the rubber game of a three game series at Comerica Park in Detroit.
Detroit (2-4) took the early lead on a solo homerun by Jonathan Schoop off Nathan Eovaldi with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Kike Hernandez tied it up for Boston with his first homer of the season, a solo shot to left with one out in the third off Eduardo Rodriguez. The Red Sox then looked as though they had taken control with a big six run fourth inning. Alex Verdugo had an RBI sacrifice fly, Jackie Bradley Jr. a two-run double, Hernandez and Rafael Devers back to back RBI doubles, and Trevor Story knocked in his first run of the season with an RBI single to make it 7-1. The Tigers got a run back in the fifth, but the lead went to 9-2 in the top of the seventh on a Christian Vazquez sacrifice RBI fly and an RBI double by Bradley, Jr. Spencer Torkelson cut it to 9-4 with a two-run homerun in the bottom half of the seventh, and then Detroit scored three more times in the eighth and had threatened to tie it or take the lead. Eric Haase would single in Jeimer Candelario who doubled to start the inning, Harold Castro then walked, and Torkelson singled to load the bases with no outs. Jake Diekman came out of the Boston bullpen to relieve Kutter Crawford, and got Miguel Cabrera and Akil Baddoo both swinging for strikeouts. Victor Reyes though would follow by driving in Haase with a single, and Austin Meadows was hit by a pitch to make it a two run game. Hansel Robles would come in to pitch and would get Schoop to pop out to Story at second base to get out of the jam. Robles would send them down in order in the last half of the ninth to pick up his first save, and give the Red Sox (3-3) the win in the series after dropping the opener.
Eovaldi (1-0) would pick up the win going the first 5.0 innings allowing two runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Bradley Jr. led the offense with two hits, his first two of 2022, and three RBI. Hernandez, Story, and Bobby Dalbec also added two hits each. Former Boston pitcher Rodriguez (0-1) was tagged in the loss allowing seven runs (just two earned) on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 3.2 innings against his former club. Meadows, Castro, and Torkelson had two hits a piece. The Red Sox now head to Fenway for their home opener on Friday at 2:10 p.m. against the Minnesota Twins. Boston will go with RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1, 6.35 ERA) against Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (0-1, 4.50) in the first of a four game series.
