BOSTON (DA) — Ceddanne Rafaela homered in the first inning for the Boston Red Sox, but Ozzie Albies and the Atlanta Braves overcame an early deficit and held on for a 7-6 victory at Fenway Park.
Rafaela went 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, taking part in a historic start for Boston. Jarren Duran opened the bottom of the first with a home run before Rafaela followed with a solo shot, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 lead after their first two batters.
It marked the first time the Red Sox led off a game with back-to-back home runs since May 31, 2016, and the first time they accomplished it at Fenway Park since July 27, 2011.
Rafaela has remained one of Boston’s most productive hitters in recent weeks. He is batting .302 with a .362 on-base percentage and an .893 OPS over his last 25 games with a plate appearance, collecting four home runs and 13 RBIs during that stretch.
Albies finished 0 for 5 with one strikeout for Atlanta, ending the night batting .268 with a .743 OPS. Though he did not record a hit, his Braves recovered from Boston’s early attack to secure another road victory.
Matt Olson tied the game with a two-run home run in the fifth inning, and Michael Harris II put Atlanta ahead with an RBI double during a three-run sixth. Harris later added a two-run homer in the eighth and finished 4 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Boston fought back late. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a solo home run in the seventh and delivered a two-run single in the ninth, but Raisel Iglesias preserved the lead to record the save.
Spencer Strider earned the win after allowing three runs on three hits across five innings. Ranger Suárez took the loss for Boston after giving up five runs on six hits in five innings.
The Braves improved to a Major League Baseball-best 37-18 and recorded their MLB-leading 19th come-from-behind victory of the season. They also improved to 20-8 on the road.
The Red Sox fell to 22-31 after their fourth consecutive loss and dropped to 8-18 at Fenway Park.