BOSTON — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (9-13) lose Sonny Gray early but battle their way to a Marathon Monday win, beating the Tigers, 8-6:
1) The Red Sox pulled ahead because they did something they have failed to do too often this season: put the ball in play in a big spot. With the bases loaded in the seventh inning in a 3-3 game, Ceddanne Rafaela fell behind 0-2 against lefty Tyler Holton, then badly chased a changeup but got enough bat on it to push a two-run single into right field. Two batters later, Carlos Narváez’s infield single scored Rafaela and made it 6-3.
It was that kind of day for Boston, which had three extra-base hits (all doubles) but still kept the line moving with 12 hits, eight walks and three steals and was able to score because of small ball and aggressive baserunning. Detroit’s staff — and namely, starter Jack Flaherty (6 walks) — was complacent, too.
2) The biggest development of the day for the Red Sox came in the third inning when Sonny Gray left the game with right hamstring tightness. It’s obviously good news for Boston that the injury was in the lower half rather than arm-related, but still an obvious cause for concern if the issue was enough for Gray to leave the game.
If Gray does need to miss any time, lefty Payton Tolle will likely get his first chance of the season in the majors. (UPDATE: Gray will be placed on the 15-day injured list and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.)
3) Having lost two games in a row to fall five games under .500, Alex Cora clearly managed with an increased level of urgency. That was evident in his late-game strategy and Boston’s willingness to manufacture runs with small ball.
The latter started with runners on the corners and one out in the second, when Narváez laid down a bunt (effectively, a safety squeeze attempt) in an effort to force some action. The bunt went right back to starter Jack Flaherty but the Tigers bungled the play and allowed Caleb Durbin to score the game’s first run. In the seventh, after the first two men reached, Cora pinch-hit the light-hitting Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Jarren Duran against the left-handed Holton. Kiner-Falefa failed to get the bunt down and struck out on an attempt that went foul.
Duran and Willson Contreras also showed bunt at different points in the game. Desperate times are clearly calling for desperate measures.
4) Gray’s early exit caused a bullpen fire drill, with the Red Sox using eight pitchers, including some they likely would have preferred to avoid. The most impacted arm? Lefty Jovani Morán, who had to pitch two days after a three-inning, 41-pitch appearance — and didn’t look like himself. In a 2-2 game, Morán walked the first two batters he faced, then allowed the go-ahead run on Kerry Carpenter’s RBI single. He left the game without retiring a batter.
5) Morán’s struggles led into Greg Weissert putting together one of the more impressive innings by a Red Sox reliever this season. The righty entered with runners on the corners and no outs and struck out Matt Vierling, Hao-Yu Lee and Jake Rogers on just 10 pitches (9 strikes) to retire the side.
Cora’s plan after Gray? A baton-passing effort that included Danny Coulombe, Zack Kelly, Morán, Weissert, Garrett Whitlock, Ryan Watson and Aroldis Chapman. Watson and Chapman combined to allow three runs in the ninth (all charged to Watson) as Detroit cut a five-run deficit to two.
Needless to say, some bullpen moves are expected before Tuesday’s game. Watson’s status is complicated by the fact he’s a Rule 5 pick but he may be on thin ice.
6) There were more signs of life at the plate from Durbin after a late double Saturday. The third baseman walked in his first plate appearance, then smoked a 101.1 mph two-bagger off the Green Monster in the second and later added an infield single. He seems to be seeing pitches better than he was a couple weeks ago.
7) Narváez also doubled for the second straight day, lifting an extra-base hit off lefty Brant Hurter in the sixth. He reached base four times (error, walk, double, single) in one of his best offensive showings of the season.
8) Kiner-Falefa got in on the action with a two-run single that didn’t seem like it would loom large in the end. His first RBIs in a Red Sox uniform plated two in eighth inning and stretched a 6-3 lead to 8-3.
Watson’s ninth-inning scuffles closed the gap enough for Kiner-Falefa’s swing to be the difference. Insurance runs matter.
9) Before the injury, Gray looked poised to bounce back nicely after a rough outing in Minnesota on Tuesday night. He faced the minimum in his first two innings before running into a little trouble (two hits and a walk) while laboring in the third. Encouragingly, 27 of his 40 pitches were strikes.
10) On a day when the Red Sox’ offense kept the line moving more than it has in previous days, Trevor Story was close to breaking things open early. He looked to have a chance at a three-run homer but the ball died on the track as Riley Greene made a nice play to save runs.
11) Starting Tuesday night, the Red Sox will welcome the Yankees into town for the first series between the rivals in 2026. It’s a three-game series that features New York’s top arms. Here’s the schedule (with pitching probables):
Tuesday, 6:45 p.m. ET — RHP Luis Gil (0-1, 7.00 ERA) vs. LHP Connelly Early (1-0, 2.29 ERA)