Willson Contreras crushed a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, lifting the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
After Wilyer Abreu knocked a two-out double deep into the left-field corner, Contreras flipped the score in Boston’s favor when he crushed the low ball deep into the left-center field stands.
Contreras and Abreu both went 2-for-4. Masataka Yoshida had the other Boston RBI.
Contreras’ big swing made a winner out of Peyton Tolle (2-2), who tossed a career-high eight innings in the victory. The Red Sox left-hander allowed just two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three.
After Tolle pitched three 1-2-3 innings to conclude his outing, Aroldis Chapman stranded the bases loaded – after a two-out fielding error and back-to-back walks – in Atlanta’s ninth to record his 10th save of the season. Ha-Seong Kim grounded back to the pitcher to end the game, forcing a rubber game in the three-game series on Sunday.
Drake Baldwin (home run) and Jose Azocar (two doubles) both went 2-for-3 for the Braves, combining for all four of the team’s hits. Bryce Elder (4-2) was a tough-luck loser, allowing three runs on seven hits through eight innings.
Baldwin wasted no time putting the Braves in front for a 1-0 lead, hitting his second first-inning home run in as many games. This time coming up as the leadoff batter against Tolle, the designated hitter crushed a solo shot to deep center.
Tolle quickly settled in after allowing the early run, retiring the next seven batters he faced and allowing just one additional hit through the first four innings.
The Red Sox wasted Jarren Duran’s leadoff double in the first and did not record another hit until Mickey Gasper’s base knock to begin the fourth. After an Abreu single and Contreras’ fielder’s choice loaded the bases, Gasper slid into the plate with the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly by Yoshida.
In the fifth, the hosts grabbed a 2-1 lead again. Azocar knocked his second straight double inside the third-base line before scoring on Baldwin’s single to right.
