Raimel Tapia’s pinch-hit double drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 400th career save as the visiting Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Wednesday to earn a split of their two-game series.
Jarren Duran walked to start the seventh against reliever A.J. Minter (2-4) and came around to score when Tapia lined a two-out double off reliever Nick Anderson into right field. It was Tapia’s major-league-leading fourth pinch hit of the season.
The Red Sox got insurance in the ninth on Triston Casas’ 442-foot two-run homer, his fifth, off Raisel Iglesias.
Jansen pitched one inning and allowed one hit, striking out Travis d’Arnaud to end the game and earn his ninth save. Jansen, who pitched for the Braves last season and led the National League in saves with 41, is the seventh player to record 400 saves and trails No. 6 Billy Wagner, who has 422.
Boston starter Brayan Bello (2-1) pitched six innings and allowed two runs on six hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. He has allowed only five earned runs over 16 innings in his last three starts.
Atlanta went with a bullpen game since Max Fried, whose turn it was to start, had to be placed on the injured list with left forearm soreness. Opener Dylan Lee, making the first regular-season start of his career, worked the first 2 2/3 innings without allowing a run.
The Red Sox broke the scoreless tie by scoring two runs in the fourth off Collin McHugh, the second pitcher used by Atlanta. Enrique Hernandez drove in a run with a single to left and Duran added an RBI single to center field.
The Braves tied the game in the sixth inning after Ronald Acuna Jr. crushed a solo homer 470 feet to left field. It was the seventh homer for Acuna, his first since May 3. Austin Riley singled with one out, took second on a ground ball and scored on Eddie Rosario’s single to right field.
–Field Level Media
