Yainer Diaz hits walk-off home run and sloppy Astros beat the Red Sox

Yainer Diaz hit his first career walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning as the Houston Astros overcame an error-prone performance to earn a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

Diaz hit a first-pitch cutter by Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (3-2) 401 feet into left-center field. It was Diaz’s 14th home run of the season and gave him the winning hit for Astros closer Josh Hader (6-6), who hit a perfect hit in the ninth inning.

The Astros fought back from a 4-2 deficit thanks to a sacrifice fly by Jon Singleton in the sixth inning and an RBI single by Mauricio Dubon in the eighth inning. The latter hit brought home Chas McCormick, who slapped a single and took second base while batting in the same spot in the order as Singleton.

Boston’s Masataka Yoshida broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning.

Yoshida welcomed Astros relief pitcher Tayler Scott into the left-field seats above the away scoreboard with a hit to the opposite field. His ninth home run came off Romy Gonzalez, who came in on a throwing error by second baseman Jose Altuve early in the inning. Yoshida pinch-hittered for Connor Wong, who was 0-for-2 with one strikeout against Astros left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.

Kikuchi left the field after Danny Jansen and Triston Casas had two consecutive strikeouts. His defense didn’t help him. Houston committed a season-high four errors with Kikuchi on the mound, and Kikuchi was credited with three runs — one earned — on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven times and allowed one.

Jarren Duran took advantage of the first pitch of the game, a Kikuchi fastball, to hit his 16th home run into left field. Boston doubled the lead later in the inning when Astros third baseman Shay Whitcomb mishandled a grounder from Jansen with two outs, allowing Rafel Devers to score from second base.

Kikuchi pitched around a fielding error by shortstop Jeremy Pena in the second inning and a throwing error by catcher Victor Caratini in the fifth. He got Rob Refsnyder to double-play grounders in the third and Wong in the fourth inning to keep his pitch count under control despite the shaky defense.

Boston starter Tanner Houck allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in six innings. He had eight strikeouts and did not allow a single walk.

–Field level media