Rafaela homers and drives in four runs as the Red Sox rout the Tigers 10-3
DETROIT (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela homered and drove in four runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers for the second straight night with a 10-3 victory on Tuesday night.
Framber Valdez (2-2) allowed a career-high 10 runs before being ejected in the fourth inning for hitting Trevor Story, which caused both benches to empty, though no punches were thrown. He also matched a career worst by allowing three homers.
Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu also homered for the Red Sox, who had lost four of five before coming to Detroit. Boston is 4-2 against the Tigers this season.
Matt Vierling homered for Detroit, which has lost five of eight.
Brayan Bello (2-4) allowed one run on four hits in seven innings after replacing opener Jovani Moran for the second inning. He walked one and struck out seven after losing his last three starts.
Boston took a 3-0 lead in the first on Rafaela’s three-run homer, but the Tigers got two runs off Moran in the bottom of the inning.
After a scoreless second, the Red Sox used a walk and five straight singles to take an 8-2 lead and set up the fourth-inning drama.
Contreras hit Valdez’s first pitch an estimated 449 feet over the Red Sox bullpen in left-center and stayed at the plate to admire its flight. Two pitches later, Abreu hit a 109-mph line drive down the right-field line for Boston’s third homer of the night.
Valdez’s next pitch was a 94-mph fastball that hit Story in the back. Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler and plate umpire Adam Beck quickly got between Story and Valdez, causing both benches to empty, but Story never attempted to get near Valdez.
As everyone returned to the dugouts and bullpens, Valdez was ejected by third-base umpire Dan Iassogna.
Up next
The teams finish the three-game series on Wednesday night, with Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (0-2, 5.90)
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB