Why Red Sox’s Comeback Win Vs. Tigers Was Unlike Any Other This Season originally appeared on NESN.
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The Boston Red Sox kicked off their road series against the Detroit Tigers with a much-needed win on Monday, taking the series opener 5-4 at Comerica Park to improve to 14-21.
It was also a unique win for the Red Sox, who overcame a multi-run deficit and won for the first time this season. Prior to Monday’s victory, Boston was 0-18 this year in games where it trailed by at least two runs at any point.
That reflects how much the Red Sox’s offense has struggled this season. Entering play on Monday, it ranked 27th in runs per game, 28th in home runs and 28th in OPS.
HISTORY!
The 2026 Red Sox are now 1-18 when trailing by 2+ runs in a game. Incredible achievement.
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) May 5, 2026
Boston’s lineup finally showed some resilience on Monday, however. Both pitching staffs traded zeroes until the bottom of the sixth, when the Tigers finally broke through with two runs off Payton Tolle.
The Red Sox immediately responded in the top of the seventh, erupting for five runs. The big blow came on Jarren Duran’s go-ahead three-run homer, which gave Boston the lead for good.
Detroit scored a pair of runs off Garrett Whitlock in the bottom of the eighth to cut the Red Sox’s lead to one, but Aroldis Chapman closed the door in the ninth for his seventh save of the season, securing Tolle’s first career win in the process.
After plating just seven runs over their previous three games combined, Monday’s performance was a step in the right direction for Boston hitters, who notched five runs on a dozen hits. They’ll try to build off that performance on Tuesday against All-Star lefty Framber Valdez.
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