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BOSTON (AP) — Wilyer Abreu powered the Boston Red Sox to another dramatic win Saturday, launching two home runs, including a go-ahead two-run blast in the seventh inning, as Boston stormed back to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 and push its winning streak to 12 games.
Abreu’s latest surge came one day after he homered twice in the second game of Boston’s doubleheader sweep Friday, giving him four home runs over a two-game span.
Tampa Bay had its own power display, with Victor Mesa Jr. connecting for a two-run homer that briefly put the Rays in front and Jonny DeLuca adding a solo shot.
The Red Sox trailed 6-3 before breaking through for four runs in the seventh. Ceddanne Rafaela delivered an RBI double, Masataka Yoshida drove in a run with a groundout, and Abreu capped the rally by taking Garrett Cleavinger (2-3) deep for the decisive swing.
Ryan Watson (1-0) worked two innings to earn his first major league win, and Aroldis Chapman closed it out with a scoreless ninth for his 21st save.
Trailing 3-2 in the fourth, the Rays jumped ahead with three runs. Mesa Jr. hit his homer into Tampa Bay’s bullpen and Yandy Díaz added an RBI single.
DeLuca’s homer over the Green Monster made it 6-3 in the seventh.
Making his second start after missing last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Boston’s Patrick Sandoval gave up five runs in five innings.
Tampa Bay took a 2-0 edge in the second when Ryan Vilade scored on second baseman Seigler’s throwing error and Nick Furias had an RBI single, but Jahmai Jones’ two-run homer tied it in the bottom half after Andruw Monasterio correctly challenged a called 3-2 strike that would have ended the inning.
Rays starter Ian Seymour lasted just three innings, allowing three runs and two homers after giving up a career-high tying six runs in his previous start.
