Above: Boston Red Sox’ Masataka Yoshida (left) and Romy Gonzalez (right) celebrate after hitting a two-run home run by Yoshida against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning of a baseball game on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Houston.
Below: Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Houston.
12:58 JST, August 20, 2024
HOUSTON (AP) — Yainer Diaz’s go-ahead solo home run with one out in the ninth inning gave the Houston Astros a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
The Astros tied the game with an RBI single by Mauricio Dubón in the eighth inning. Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (3-2) retired Yordan Alvarez on three pitches in the ninth before Diaz, who also homered Sunday, drove the next pitch to deep left-center field to give Houston its 11th win in 12 games.
Josh Hader (6-6) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the win.
The Astros won despite committing a season-high four errors during an unusually sloppy night of defense.
Aug 19, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida (7) hits a homerun in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Jarren Duran hit a home run in the first at bat and Masataka Yoshida’s two-run home run in the sixth inning gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.
Red Sox starter Tanner Houck allowed eight hits and three runs (two earned) with eight strikeouts in six innings.
Houston starter Yusei Kikuchi gave up six hits and three runs — one earned — in 5 2/3 innings in his fourth start since a July 29 trade from Toronto.
The score was tied at 2-2 when Romy Gonzalez led off the sixth inning on a pitching error by Jose Altuve. He was still on first base with two outs when Kikuchi was replaced by Tayler Scott. Yoshida hit his third pitch and hit it against the railing on the left field wall, giving the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.
Jeremy Peña singled with no outs in the sixth and advanced to third on a single by Victor Caratini. The Astros cut the lead to 4-3 when Peña scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Jon Singleton with one out.
Duran sent Kikuchi’s first pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left field to give the Red Sox an early lead. Rob Refsnyder and Rafael Devers hit back-to-back singles with one out in the first.
Gonzalez then reached for a fielder’s choice and Refsnyder was tagged out at home. The Red Sox made it 2-0 when Danny reached Jansen and Devers scored on an error by rookie third baseman Shay Whitcomb.
Alvarez doubled with no outs in the fourth inning before a single by Diaz. Alvarez was initially called safe when he slid home on a ball hit by Peña. But the Red Sox disputed the call and it was overturned.
Caratini then grounded out to right field, scoring Diaz and Peña to tie the score at 2-2.
