The Boston Red Sox will look to get the upper hand in a four-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
Ceddanne Rafaela homered twice in his first career multi-homer game while leading the Red Sox to a 7-3 win Friday that evened the series at 1-1. Boston recorded 12 hits and snapped a two-game skid.
Rafaela, a 23-year-old rookie who had gone back-to-back games without a hit after a four-game hitting streak, drove in five runs.
“We just (have) to make sure (Rafaela) understands that it takes time to adjust,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not about instant results.”
Amid the rookie ups and downs, which included a 2-for-12 slump entering Friday, Rafaela has led all major league rookies and the Red Sox with 33 RBIs this season.
“It’s difficult for me to get frustrated. I don’t get frustrated that (easily),” he said.
On Friday, David Hamilton went 3-for-4 while Dominic Smith and Connor Wong each finished 2-for-3 for Boston.
Red Sox right-hander Cooper Criswell (2-2, 3.96 ERA) will start on Saturday. In his last start, he allowed seven runs in four innings in Boston’s 11-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
Criswell will make his first career start against Detroit.
The Red Sox had won five of Criswell’s first six starts but now have lost two of the past three.
On Friday, Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first but recorded just five hits after that inning. Riley Greene went 2-for-4 with a double, while Colt Keith hit a two-run home run in the eighth.
Designated hitter Mark Canha was scratched from Friday’s lineup with hip soreness.
Spencer Torkelson, who was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Thursday, has slumped of late. He is hitless in eight of his past nine games.
