Adam Duvall hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3 on Thursday.
“He’s off to a great start,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.
The 34-year-old Duvall, selected as the AL Player of the Week on Monday, is hitting .458 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in his first six games with the Red Sox. He signed a one-year, $7 million contract in January to play for his fifth major league team.
“Duvall has been very hot,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said.
Raphael Devers he hit a solo home run in the fourth and had an RBI double in the sixth.
Boston, swept at home earlier in the week by Pittsburgh, rallied with one run in the third and fourth before taking the lead with four runs in the sixth.
Chris Sale (1-0) allowed four hits, three runs and three walks while striking out seven in five innings.
Sale, who allowed seven runs in his season debut, got off to a shaky start with two straight walks in Detroit before striking out the next three batters.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever thrown eight balls in a row in my life,” he said. “That was definitely interesting. Thanks to the visit to the mound, I took three hits after that.”
John Schreiber, Chris Martin, and Ryan Brasier combined to pitch three scoreless innings of relief and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his first save with Boston.
In his final home start, Miguel Cabrera hit a two-out RBI single in the third inning to put Detroit up 3–1.
“He’s a pure hitter, right up there with (Albert) Pujols,” Cora said. “He can hit for average, hit for power and that rare ability to drive in runs.”
Spencer Turnbull (0-2) allowed five runs, five hits and two walks in 5 2-3 innings. José Cisnero allowed the three-run home run to Duvall, the first batter he faced.
Detroit catcher Jake Rogers fired up the fans, bundled up on a chilly afternoon, by turning an inside pitch 414 feet to the left to put Detroit up 2-0 in the second.
However, the Tigers missed many opportunities to score more runs by leaving eight runners on base.
"We had our chances, especially when we didn’t get to Sale right away and then it settled"Hinch said.