Javier Báez’s two-run single highlighted a four-run 10th inning, leading the Detroit Tigers to an 8-4 victory over Boston, marking the Red Sox’s first Sunday loss and securing a split in their four-game series.
Rafael Devers contributed significantly for the Red Sox with a game-tying solo homer, an RBI triple, and a sliding play to his left on Matt Vierling’s grounder. Boston had previously boasted a major league-best 9-0 record on Sundays.
Wenceel Pérez added three hits, drove in a run, and scored another on a close play for the Tigers, who managed their third win in their last 15 games against Boston.
“You’ve got to hang in there,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It looked like the story of the game was going to be missed opportunities or early game offense or lack thereof and it turned out to be a very productive game for us. … Big at-bats late.”
Pinch-hitter Andy Ibáñez’s RBI double against Cam Booser (0-2) put the Tigers ahead in the 10th before Báez’s single and Carson Kelly’s RBI double. “This guy was warming up two innings before the at-bat,” Ibáñez said through a team translator. “They told me to get ready. I was watching the videos.”
Andrew Chafin (3-1) secured the win by getting four outs.
“There were some matchups we liked but others we didn’t, but that’s where we were in the bullpen,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of the 10th. “One pitch away from getting out of it. … A pitch to Javy, down in the zone and he put a good swing on it and then they kept going.”
The Red Sox missed a crucial opportunity in the ninth, leaving the bases loaded when Connor Wong flew out to deep right.
Detroit overcame an early 3-0 deficit and forced Boston starter Brayan Bello out of the game, taking a 4-3 lead in the seventh. Devers then hit a home run off Alex Faedo that barely cleared the Green Monster in deep left-center.
Bello exited leading 3-2 with two runners on and one out before Pérez lined an RBI double off Justin Slaten. Riley Greene scored the go-ahead run on a grounder from Mark Canha that shortstop David Hamilton made a diving stop on.
The Red Sox initially built a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first three innings against Casey Mize.
Bello was charged with four runs over 6 1/3 innings.
Enmanuel Valdez, who homered twice for his first career multihomer game in Saturday’s victory, delivered an RBI single. Jarren Duran added one in the second, and Devers’ triple down the right-field line made it 3-0.
Mize allowed three runs, two earned, over four innings.
“I just need to be more efficient,” he said. “Four innings just isn’t good enough.”
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