Field Level Media
Apr 23, 2019
Josh Harrison hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth, Matthew Boyd pitched seven solid innings and the Detroit Tigers downed the Boston Red Sox 7-4 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
Boyd (2-1) allowed three runs on three hits. Ronny Rodriguez had three hits, including a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs for Detroit. Grayson Greiner also homered and drove in two runs.
Xander Bogaerts hit a pair of solo homers for Boston. Mookie Betts drove in the Red Sox's two other runs.
Red Sox starter Chris Sale, still seeking his first win of 2019, gave up two runs in five innings and struck out a season-high 10 batters. Colten Brewer (0-2) took the loss, giving up three runs in the eighth.
The originally scheduled opener of the four-game series on Monday was postponed due to rain.
Betts gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the third. Christian Vazquez reached on a walk and moved to third on Tzu-Wei Lin's double. Boyd retired the next two batters on groundouts, but Betts then slapped a single to left, bringing in both runners.
The Tigers got one of those runs back in the fourth. Niko Goodrum drew a one-out walk and stole second. After Sale struck out the next batter, Rodriguez ripped a double into the left-center gap to knock in Goodrum.
Detroit tied in the fifth on Greiner's second homer this season, a blast to left over the Green Monster.
Rodriguez did the same in the sixth for his first homer this season to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Bogaerts tied it in the bottom of the inning with his first solo blast, which also cleared the left field wall.
Detroit erupted for three runs in the eighth. Goodrum walked and Rodriguez banged a one-out double off the wall. Harrison then drilled a double to left center, bringing in both runners. Greiner followed with an RBI single to make it 6-3.
Miguel Cabrera's bloop RBI single in the ninth gave the Tigers a four-run cushion.
Bogaerts hit his second home of the game, his fourth of the year, in the ninth.
--Field Level Media