Jarren Duran had a three-run homer and Connor Wong singled home a pair in a six-run ninth inning, lifting the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 9-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday afternoon.
Wong gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the sixth with an RBI double off Matt Festa (1-1), scoring pinch-hitter Marcelo Mayer, and tacked on a two-run single in the ninth against Will Dion. Boston won for the second time in its last eight games.
Boston starter Sonny Gray (6-1) worked six innings, giving up one run on four hits in extending his winning streak to four games. The right-hander struck out seven and walked three in becoming one of four American League pitchers with four wins in May.
Caleb Durbin had two RBIs and two hits for the Red Sox, who improved to 14-16 under interim manager Chad Tracy. Boston scored the final nine runs, aided by Cleveland making a season-high four errors.
The AL Central-leading Guardians went up 1-0 in the first when Jose Ramirez doubled in rookie Travis Bazzana. It was his 977th career RBI, which ranks second in franchise history.
The Red Sox tied it in the fourth on Durbin’s sacrifice fly off Parker Messick that plated Andruw Monasterio, then went in front two innings later.
Rookie Messick worked five innings, giving up one run on five hits with a pair of walks. The left-hander struck out four and lowered his ERA to 2.21, which ranks eighth in the majors, while his record remained 6-1.
Wong’s RBI double in the sixth was initially called a homer, but crew chief John Tumpane initiated a review that ruled it struck the yellow line before bouncing off the guardrail.
Gray tossed a one-hit shutout in his last start in Cleveland on June 27, 2025, striking out 11 while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave up two hits on his first five pitches this time with Bazzana doubling and scoring on Ramirez’s double.
Dion allowed six runs in his lone inning of relief, fueled by errors by third baseman Ramirez and left fielder Stuart Fairchild.
The Guardians lost right fielder Angel Martinez to left foot inflammation in the fifth. They remain without Gold Glove-winning left fielder Steven Kwan, who was placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list before the series opener.
