BOSTON (AP) — Jarren Duran hit an inside-the-park homer, Lucas Giolito pitched six effective innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Sunday to avert a three-game sweep.
In a tight race for one of three American League wild cards, the Red Sox won for the eighth time in 11 games.
Alexander Canario hit a solo homer over the Green Monster for Pittsburgh, which had won nine of 12.
Duran’s three-run homer into the Fenway Park triangle in right-center field capped a four-run fifth against starter Mitch Keller (6-13), pushing Boston ahead 4-1.
Coming off his best start of the season, when he went eight shutout innings last Tuesday in a victory over Baltimore, Giolito (10-2) gave up a run and three hits. He struck out six and walked five.
Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his 27th save.
Giolito breezed through the first three innings with the help of center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who made a diving catch. But the right-hander walked the bases loaded in the fourth before uncorking a wild pitch that gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Roman Anthony had an RBI groundout for the Red Sox in the fifth. Rafaela drove in a run with an infield single in the sixth.
Pirates third baseman Cam Devanney, who grew up about 45 minutes away in Amherst, New Hampshire, made his major league debut and went 0 for 3 with a walk.
Key moment
Duran hit a line drive into right-center and the ball got past Canario, who tried to cut it off from right field. It rolled into the Fenway triangle, where it caromed off the side wall of Boston’s bullpen and briefly got past center fielder Oneil Cruz as the speedy Duran raced around the bases.
Key stat
Because of Nick Gonzales’ error at second base to start the Boston fifth, all four runs off Keller were unearned.
Up next
Pirates: Open a three-game series at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (10-6, 2.99 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday afternoon against Cleveland. LHP Parker Messick (1-0, 0.66) goes for the Guardians.
