BASEBALL: Red Sox, desperate for home success, chase series win vs. Braves

The Boston Red Sox will look to secure their first back-to-back home wins since early April when they host the Atlanta Braves in the series finale on Thursday.

The Braves opened the series with a 7-6 win on Tuesday, but Boston responded emphatically on Wednesday with an 8-0 shutout to snap a five-game home losing streak. The Red Sox broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning to take full control.

Boston had not recorded consecutive home victories since April 7-8 against the Milwaukee Brewers. While the club also won a home game on April 17 against the Detroit Tigers, it has struggled overall at Fenway Park, going 5-15 in its most recent stretch.

Wednesday’s win featured 15 hits, Boston’s highest total at Fenway Park this season. Interim manager Chad Tracy praised the team’s offensive approach, highlighting the importance of stringing together at-bats rather than relying on isolated hits.

Jarren Duran powered the offense with a solo home run in each of the first two games of the series and finished Wednesday with four hits. The Boston leadoff hitter has now homered in back-to-back games three times this month. Ceddanne Rafaela also continued his strong performance, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs after hitting a solo home run in Tuesday’s game.

On the Atlanta side, manager Walt Weiss expressed frustration after his team went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. The Braves also committed three errors, including two during Boston’s decisive fourth inning, marking their fifth shutout loss of the season.

Boston is expected to send left-hander Payton Tolle to the mound in the series finale. Tolle holds a 2-2 record with a 2.49 ERA and previously delivered a strong outing against Atlanta on May 16, when he allowed two runs over eight innings in a 3-2 win.

Atlanta will counter with left-hander Chris Sale, who will face his former team for the first time since leaving Boston after the 2023 season. The 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner has been dominant this year, allowing one run or fewer in eight of his 10 starts and carrying a 7-3 record with a 1.89 ERA into the matchup. -Field Level Media/Reuters