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Red Sox reactions: Jarren Duran being picked off in eighth proves costly in loss to Reds
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- Red Sox reactions: Jarren Duran being picked off in eighth proves costly in loss to Reds
CINCINNATI — Instant reactions from the Red Sox ' 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Sunday:
1. Boston dropped to 1-2 while the Reds improved to 2-1.
2. Jarren Duran walked with one out in the eighth inning but then reliever Tony Santillan picked him off first base. It proved costly for Boston as the next two hitters reached. Willson Contreras walked and Wilyer Abreu singled to put runners at the corners. With two outs, Caleb Durbin struck out to end the inning. Santillan made a quick move and that had more to do with it than Duran making a base-running mistake.
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3.Durbin, who the Red Sox acquired in a trade with the Brewers in February, is 0-for-12 with three strikeouts to begin the season.
4.The Red Sox offense had seven hits and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position while leaving nine men on base. Andruw Monstario doubled with one out in the ninth. Pinch hitter Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to left field for the second out. Roman Anthony was intentionally walked and then Trevor Story flied out to center field to end the game.
5.Wilyer Abreu went deep for the second time in two games. His 388-foot two-run home run to right-center field put the Red Sox ahead 2-0 in the fourth inning.
6.Reliever Greg Weissert struggled for a second straight game. Weissert took over for starter Connelly Early with a runner at first base and the Red Sox ahead 2-0 in the sixth. He walked Sal Stewart and then gave up a 431-foot three-run home run to Eugenio Suárez that made it 3-2 Cincinnati.
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Weissert has allowed three runs on three hits, including two home runs, and two walks while striking out three in 1 ⅔ innings across two games.
7.Early pitched well, allowing just one run, five hits and two walks while striking out six in 5 ⅓ innings.
The 23-year-old lefty pitched out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the fourth inning, inducing a 6-3 double play to keep Boston’s lead at 2-0. First baseman Willson Contreras fielded the ball, stepped on first base for one out, then threw to shortstop Trevor Story, who tagged out Spencer Steer as he ran from first to second base.
Early threw 37 four-seam fastballs, averaging 94.4 mph and topping out at 96.1 mph. He induced seven swings and misses: three with his slider and two each with his changeup and four-seam fastball.
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8.Backup catcher Connor Wong , who went just 4-for-33 (.121) during spring training, singled to right field in his first at-bat of the regular season. He also ripped a 386-foot double to center field with two outs in the seventh inning.
9. Masataka Yoshida made his first start of the season, playing left field. He walked in his first two at-bats Sunday after walking as a pinch hitter Saturday. Twelve of the first 13 pitches he saw this season were balls before he grounded out in the seventh inning.
10.Lefty reliever Jovani Morán , who is out of minor league options for the first time in his career, pitched a perfect seventh inning. He also pitched a scoreless eighth inning despite giving up a double and one walk.
11.The Red Sox will begin a three-game series in Houston against the Astros on Monday. Lefty Ranger Suárez , who signed a five-year, $130 million contract in free agency, will make his Red Sox debut. Righty Lance McCullers Jr . will start for Houston.
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