HOUSTON (AP) — Yainer Diaz hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros over the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Monday night.
The Astros tied the score on Mauricio Dubon’s RBI single in the eighth. Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (3-2) struck out Yordan Alvarez on three pitches in the ninth before Diaz, who also homered Sunday, launched the next pitch to left-center field to give Houston its 11th win in 12 games.
Josh Hader (6-6) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the win.
The Astros won despite committing a season-high four errors on uncharacteristically shaky defense tonight.
Red Sox starter Tanner Houck allowed eight hits and three runs – two earned – with eight strikeouts in six innings.
Houston starter Yusei Kikuchi allowed six hits and three runs – one received – in 5 2/3 innings during his fourth start since being traded July 29 from Toronto.
For the Astros, Dominicans Díaz went 2-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored, Jeremy Peña went 1-for-4 with two runs scored. Honduran Dubón went 1-for-4 with one RBI. Puerto Rican Victor Caratini went 3-for-3 with a run scored. Cuban Yordan Álvarez went 3-for-4. Venezuelan José Altuve went 1-for-5.
For the Red Sox, Dominican Rafael Devers went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
