D-Backs comes up short in a loss to the Red Sox

BOSTON — Gabriel Moreno supplied one of the biggest swings of the night, but the Arizona Diamondbacks could not contain the Boston Red Sox in a 9-4 loss Tuesday at Fenway Park.

Arizona entered the third inning trailing 3-0 after Boston immediately pressured starting pitcher Merrill Kelly. Adley Rutschman opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first, and Caleb Durbin added a sacrifice fly to give the Red Sox an early advantage.

The Diamondbacks responded emphatically. With the bases loaded in the third, Moreno drove a pitch over the center-field wall for his 10th home run of the season. The grand slam briefly transformed a three-run deficit into a 4-3 Arizona lead and gave the visitors a chance to seize control of the game.

That lead disappeared quickly.

Rutschman answered with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning, tying the score at 4-4. Boston then moved back in front when Durbin scored on a wild pitch. The Red Sox continued adding to their lead over the next four innings while Arizona’s offense went quiet.

Andruw Monasterio delivered an RBI single in the fifth, although left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt prevented further damage by throwing Rutschman out at home. Mickey Gasper homered in the sixth and later drove in another run with a seventh-inning single. Willson Contreras also contributed an RBI single as Boston steadily extended its advantage.

Kelly took the loss after struggling to slow a Red Sox lineup that finished with 13 hits and put runners on base throughout the game. Boston starter Ranger Suárez earned the victory, recovering after Moreno’s grand slam and combining with the bullpen to shut out Arizona over the final six innings.

Moreno’s home run accounted for all four Diamondbacks runs. Arizona collected seven hits but left only four runners on base, reflecting how rarely the lineup created sustained scoring opportunities. Corbin Carroll, Ildemaro Vargas and Waldschmidt scored on the grand slam, but the Diamondbacks could not build another rally.

One encouraging moment arrived late when reliever Justin Martinez made his season debut. By then, however, Boston had established a five-run cushion.

The defeat dropped Arizona to 66-61 and gave the Red Sox victories in the first two games of the series. Boston improved to 68-58.