Red Sox 8, Tigers 6

 

The Sox manage to eke out a split in their home series against Detroit but the game wasn't without drama. 

Leading 2-1 after 2⅔ innings, starting pitcher Sonny Gray (2-1, 4.30) left the game with a hamstring pull. It's not yet clear how long Gray will be out, but he's currently listed on the Injured List as "day to day." He joins starting pitchers Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval (15 days) and Tanner Houck (60 days) on the IL. 

Act 2 of the Patriot-Day drama came in the ninth. Leading 8-3, Boston reliever Ryan Watson gave up one  run and then bullpen ace Aroldis Chapman uncharacteristically gave up two more before getting the final out and earning the save. For a minute there, though, it looked as if the Sox were getting set to blow a five-run lead in the last inning.

But it was Patriots Day and the Red Sox won. They split the home series with the Tigers, 2-2, and improve to 9-13 overall. The Sox are still tied for last in the AL East with the Blue Jays and are four games back from the New York Yankees, who've regained first place.

To make things even more interesting, those first-place Yankees are bringing their pinstriped asses to Fenway for a three-game series starting tonight. Connelly Early (1-0, 2.28) will be taking the mound for Boston. The young lefty has made only 10 major-league appearances, four this season, but is emerging as Boston's new ace, what with Crochet off to a rough start. Early has pitched against the Yankees once before, in New York in a divisional playoff game.  He struck out six and gave up four runs on six hits in that game, but got no support from the Boston bats and lost the game, 0-4. Hard to win a game when you have no runs to back you up.

Early will be up against New York's Luis Gil, who's off to a rough start (0-1, 7.00). 

First pitch is scheduled for 6:45, but the game will still be competing with Game 2 of the Celtics-Sixers playoff series (7:00 pm) in the Garden and Game 2 of the Bruins at Buffalo (7:30 pm) in the Stanley Cup quarterfinals.