Adam Duvall crushed a three-run homerun in the 10th inning on Wednesday night, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 7-5 win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. After dropping the first two of the four game series, Boston now has a chance for a split.
Boston (67-60) fell behind early for a third straight night. Jose Altuve led off the bottom of the first inning with a double, Alex Bregman followed with a single, and then Kyle Tucker drove in Altuve with a sacrifice fly for a quick 1-0 Houston lead. Former UMaine Black Bear Jeremy Pena hit a one out single in the second, and then with two outs Martin Maldonado took Chris Sale deep for a two-run homer to left centerfield to increase the advantage to 3-0. The Sox got on the board for the first time in the top of the third off Jose Urquidy. Pablo Reyes started it with a single, and then with one out Alex Verdugo doubled in Reyes by lacing one off the wall in left for a double. With two outs, Justin Turner worked a walk and Triston Casas followed with an RBI single to slice it to 3-2. The Astros pushed it back to a two-run lead in their half of the third, as Bregman led off with a walk and with two outs Yainer Diaz singled and Jose Abreu doubled to drive in Bregman. Boston battled back to tie it and knocked Urquidy out of the game in the fourth. Turner led off with a walk, and then Adam Duvall and Trevor Story both singled. The Story single was his first RBI of the year. Wilyer Abreu made it 4-4 with an RBI groundout, his first run knocked in just his sixth at bat at the big league level after being called up from Triple A Worcester on Wednesday. That score stayed the same all the way to the 10th inning. With the runner on second base extra inning rule, the visitors jumped in front for the first time and for good. With Rafael Devers at second base, Turner flew out. Casas though would follow with a walk, setting things up for Duvall. He took a 2-2 pitch from reliever Kendall Graveman deep into the crawford boxes in leftfield for the three-run homer, his 14th longball of the season. Houston (72-56) tried to battle back with their last at bat against Josh Winckowski. Chas McCormick singled to put runners at the corners, and then Diaz singled in Kyle Tucker to cut it to 7-5 with still noone out. Abreu struckout swinging, before Pena singled bringing the winning run to the plate. Winckowski finished it off by striking out Mauricio Dubon and getting Corey Julks to groundout.
Nick Pivetta (9-6) picked up the win in relief, after entering the game in the ninth inning with one out when Kenley Jansen left with right hamstring tightness. Winckowski got his third save. Sale went the first 5.0 innings in a no-decision allowing four runs on six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Verdugo, Duvall, and Story had two hits each. Diaz had three hits, while McCormick and Pena had two a piece for Houston. Graveman (3-6) took the loss. Urquidy went 4.2 innings giving up four runs on eight hits with three walks and one strikeout. The finale of the four game set is this afternoon at 2:10. Righthander Brayan Bello (9-7, 3.70 ERA) takes the hill for the Red Sox looking to help his team split, and he’ll be opposed by righty J.P. France (9-4, 2.75) for the Astros.
Story by Chris LessnerÂ
