Boston Red Sox outfielders Andrew Benintendi, left, Mookie Betts (50) and Jackie Bradley Jr. celebrate the team’s 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in a baseball game at Fenway Park on Friday, June 9, 2017, in Boston.
AP
BOSTON — Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer in the eighth as Boston rallied for three runs in the inning and beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Friday night.
Bradley drove a towering shot to right off reliever Alex Wilson (1-3), clearing Detroit’s bullpen and reaching the stands to break a 3-all tie with two outs in the eighth.
Mitch Moreland also scored on Bradley’s homer after driving in the tying run with a single to right after Xander Bogaerts’ leadoff single. Moreland led off the fourth with a homer for Boston, which rallied from a 3-0 deficit to open a five-game homestand.
Matt Barnes (4-2) pitched one inning of relief and got the win and Craig Kimbrel picked up his 18th save.
Wilson, who started the eighth with Detroit up 3-2, took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits. He also made an error on a wild pickoff attempt that put Bogaerts on second and in position to score easily on Moreland’s third hit of the game.
Moreland went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Bradley, who drove in a run with a single in the fourth, was 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
Nicholas Castellanos and Mikie Mahtook hit solo homers for the Tigers, who lost their third straight.
Jordan Zimmerman pitched six solid innings for Detroit, holding Boston to two runs on six hits, striking out three and walking three.
Brian Johnson, recalled by Boston earlier in the day from Triple-A Pawtucket, settled in after a rocky start and pitched 4 1-3 innings. He allowed eight hits, four of them in the first inning, and left trailing 3-2 with one out in the fifth.
It was Johnson’s first start in the majors since he pitched a a five-hit shutout May 27 against Seattle.
Castellanos homered with one out in the first and Detroit added another run with two outs on consecutive singles by Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton. Mahtook put Detroit up 3-0 with a leadoff homer in the fourth.
Moreland led off the bottom of the fourth with a homer to right, just out of J.D. Martinez’s reach and into the bullpen. Andrew Benintendi followed with a single and scored on Jackie Bradley’s single to left. Boston still had two runners on and one out, but the rally ended when Sandoval hit into a double play.
Moreland nearly homered again in his next at-bat with a double off the wall in center, but the Red Sox failed to get the run home. Andrew Benintendi and Ramirez grounded out and Zimmerman got Bradley swinging for the third out.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Detroit activated C James McCann from the 10-day disabled list Friday and had him back in the starting lineup in the series opener. McCann had been out with a cut on his left hand. … RHP Justin Verlander, who had a throwing session Thursday to check the health of his right leg after an early exit in his last start, was cleared for his scheduled start Saturday.
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup after a stint on the 10-day DL with a sprained left wrist. … The Red Sox optioned 1B Sam Travis and RHP Brandon Workman to Triple-A Pawtucket.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (4-4) makes his first start since leaving Sunday’s game against Baltimore after just two innings with a tight right groin.
Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (7-2) has won his last six decisions. One of his two losses this season was against Detroit, which beat Boston 2-1 on April 10 despite 10 strikeouts by Sale.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
