G53: Red Sox 4, Astros 1

Red Sox   - 001 110 001 - 4  7  0
Astros    - 100 000 000 - 1  4  2

Rafael Devers's fourth-inning home run to deep center snapped a 1-1 tie and Boston took advantage of wild pitches, infield errors, a balk, and a passed ball to score its other runs.

A strong outing from Eduardo Rodriguez (6-4-1-1-5, 98) prevented the Astros from sweeping the series. The Red Sox head home for three games against Cleveland before meeting the Yankees in the Bronx on Thursday for a four-game series.

After scoring a run in the first inning on two singles, the Astros would get only two additional hits over the next eight innings. A leadoff double in the third was their final hit of the day.

Boston tied the game in the third. Steve Pearce reached on an infield single to third, took second on a wild pitch, and went to third on Jackie Bradley's groundout to first. Eduardo Núñez also singled to third but Pearce had to stay put. Another Verlander wild pitch put Núñez on second. Andrew Benintendi's sac fly to center finally brought Pearce the final 90 feet.

After Devers gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead with his seventh home run of the season, Núñez doubled with one out in the fifth. Andrew Benintendi reached second on a fielding error by first baseman Yuli Gurriel and Núñez scored. Benintendi stole second. Mookie Betts singled to third and Benintendi went to third on Alex Bregman's throwing error. Then Betts stole second. All that activity came to naught, however, as Devers popped to shortstop and J.D Martinez fouled first.

The Red Sox left two more men on in the eighth before adding an insurance run in the ninth. Bradley made his way around the bases on a walk, balk, passed ball, and a soft grounder to second.

Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, and Marcus Walden each threw one shutout inning of relief.

The Royals beat the Yankees 8-7 in 10 innings, despite blowing a 7-1 lead. The Red Sox are now 6.5 GB.

Eduardo Rodriguez / Justin Verlander

Benintendi, LF
Betts, RF
Devers, 3B
Martinez, DH
Chavis, 2B
Vázquez, C
Pearce, 1B
Bradley, CF
Núñez, SS

Mitch Moreland has a .904 OPS (13-for-41, six singles, seven doubles) against Justin Verlander. He's the team's best hitter against Verlander (min. 10 PA). He is on the bench.

The Red Sox called up Darwinzon Hernandez from Portland and optioned Colten Brewer to Pawtucket.