Adam Duvall hit a game winning three-run homerun in the fifth inning on Sunday afternoon, as the Boston Red Sox took the rubber game of a three game series over the Detroit Tigers 6-3 at Fenway Park.
Detroit (53-65) took a 1-0 lead on Kutter Crawford in the top of the second inning. Spencer Torkelson was hit by a pitch, Zach McKinstry singled, and then Miguel Cabrera grounded out for an RBI. Cabrera, who is retiring after the season, played his final game at Fenway Park going 0-4 with that run driven in. Boston evened the score in the last of the second when Triston Casas walked with two outs, and Connor Wong tripled to right to make it 1-1 against former Red Sox product Eduardo Rodriguez. Justin Turner put his team ahead to stay with a one out solo homerun to left centerfield in the bottom of the third inning. Trevor Story kept that frame alive when he followed with a single, stole second and third base, and scored on a Duvall single for a 3-1 advantage. A two-out solo homer by the Tigers Akil Baddoo sliced it to 3-2 in the fifth, but Boston put it away in the last half when Story doubled, Masataka Yoshida singled, and then Duvall on the first pitch he saw from Rodriguez homered over the monster in left.
Garrett Whitlock (5-3) got the win in relief on the mound for Boston, and Kenley Jansen picked up his 27th save. Crawford in his no-decision gave up two runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Story had four hits, while Turner and Duvall had two each. Duvall drove in four runs. McKinstry and Riley Greene had two hits a piece for Detroit, and Rodriguez (8-6) suffered the loss giving up six runs on 10 hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings. The Red Sox began the day three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final American League wildcard playoff spot. Boston has Monday off before beginning a three game interleague series with the Washington Nationals in the nations capital on Tuesday night at 7:05. Righthander Nick Pivetta (8-6, 4.16 ERA) is expected to get the start in game one, to be opposed by righty Josiah Gray (7-9, 3.69) for the Nats.
Story by Chris Lessner
