Rafael Devers helped the Boston Red Sox take the lead with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, and Jarren Duran made a crucial defensive play in the ninth to secure a 4-3 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder singled to tie the game before Duran sprinted home on Devers’ fly ball, sliding in safely just ahead of the throw from left fielder Stuart Fairchild.
“I made up my mind to go for home as soon as the ball was hit,” Duran explained. “I was fully committed to scoring.”
Kenley Jansen closed out the game in the ninth for his 14th save this season, helped by Duran’s spectacular catch. Duran jumped above the center field fence to snatch a potential game-tying home run away from Fairchild.
“I thought it was gone for sure,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“I hit it to the wrong part of the park,” Fairchild admitted. “I saw it go up and off the bat, I was pretty excited. But he made a fantastic catch.”
Jansen’s save was the 434th of his career, moving him past Baltimore’s Craig Kimbrel for fifth place on the all-time saves list.
Dominic Smith hit a home run in the fifth inning, and Connor Wong doubled home another run in the sixth as Boston rallied after a shaky start by Nick Pivetta, who gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer and Elly De La Cruz added a solo shot for Cincinnati, which won the series opener 5-2 on Friday night.
The Reds missed out on more runs due to baserunning errors. TJ Friedl was thrown out at home plate in the fifth inning, and Jake Fraley was caught trying to score on a dribbler in front of the plate fielded by Wong.
