The Boston Red Sox entered their Saturday afternoon battle with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park with a chance to even the series at one game each, and they did just that, earning a 4-3 victory.
Boston's offense wasn't anything special, as they recorded eight hits on the day, but what they did do was avoid the strikeout (six on Saturday), which has been their biggest issue this year. Their four runs came from Dominic Smith (1-for-2 with a solo home run), Connor Wong (1-for-4), Rob Refsnyder (1-for-1) and Rafael Devers (1-for-3).
Starter Nick Pivetta allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five in his 4 1/3 innings, but luckily, the Red Sox's bullpen did their job to lock it down and earn the win. Brennan Bernardino, Greg Weissert, Cam Booser, Zack Kelly, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen all had scoreless appearances.
They also benefitted from some poor base running decisions by the Reds, who recorded multiple outs on plays at the plate that weren't particularly close, and an incredible catch by Jarren Duran to rob a game-tying home run in the ninth inning.
Jarren Duran SAVES THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/3GRsZmlUYk
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 22, 2024
This win improves Boston's record to 41-36 overall and 23-16 away from Fenway Park. They are once again five games above .500 for the third time this year, heading into the series finale between these two teams on Sunday.
