Jarren Duran capped a four-hit effort with a two-out, tiebreaking solo home run in the eighth inning, carrying the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Duran terrorized the Astros with his blend of speed and power. He hit his 17th homer, scored three runs, drove in two runs and drew a walk. His aggression on the bases yielded an extra 90 feet after his first three plate appearances.
After homering Monday on the first pitch of the series opener, Duran went deep on Tuesday against Astros reliever Kaleb Ort (1-1). He drove a 99 mph fastball the other way to left, snapping a 5-5 deadlock.
The Astros matched a three-spot by Boston in the top of the first with three runs in the bottom of that frame, capped with a two-run homer from Jon Singleton, his 11th.
Houston secured a 4-3 lead in the second when Chas McCormick delivered a sacrifice fly to center that scored Jake Meyers. The Astros pulled even at 5-5 in the fifth when Yainer Diaz homered for a second consecutive game. Diaz clubbed his 15th home run 409 feet to center field.
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta gave up five runs on six hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out two.
Four Boston relievers shut out the Astros over the final four frames, capped by closer Kenley Jansen, who recorded his 24th save with a perfect ninth. One night earlier, Jansen served up a walk-off homer to Diaz.
The Red Sox pounced on Houston starter Ronel Blanco and didn't relent, chasing him with two outs in the fourth inning. Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Triston Casas recorded extra-base hits in succession opening the first.
Abreu roped a two-strike double down the right field line that plated Duran. Casas followed with his seventh home run on the season, a two-run blast to right that lifted Boston to a 3-0 lead.
Blanco surrendered a leadoff walk to David Hamilton in the fourth. After a stolen base, Duran hit an RBI single that knotted the score at 4-4. When Duran moved up on a flyout and Casas hit a two-out RBI single, Blanco departed trailing 5-4. He allowed six hits and four walks while recording six strikeouts.
Blanco has just one victory over his past 10 starts.
