Crawford goes 7 innings, Wong has 3 hits and Red Sox beat Giants 6-2

BOSTON (AP) — Kutter Crawford pitched a career-high seven innings, Connor Wong had three hits and the Boston Red Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Wednesday night.

Crawford (2-1) allowed two runs on four hits — including a home run — and two walks with six strikeouts as the Red Sox won their fourth straight.

“That was good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Crawford’s outing. “He worked hard in the offseason to get to this point. Big strikeout to end the sixth. Good stuff, good fastball. He earned the right to go out there and try to get three outs.

“Very proud of him. He’s been awesome, absolutely great. He got hit hard in the middle of the game, but that’s part of it, right? He threw a lot of strikes with good stuff and he maintained his stuff throughout the outing.”

The right-hander’s previous career high was 6 1/3 innings on April 17, 2023, against the Los Angeles Angels.

“Really satisfying,” Crawford said. “I can’t think of a better feeling than to get through seven, give your team the best chance to win and help the bullpen out while you’re at it.”

Chris Martin and Greg Weissert each pitched a scoreless inning in relief for Boston.

Wong was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Jarren Duran also reached base three times for Boston, with two walks and his fourth triple of the season.

Daulton Jefferies (0-2) pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts for San Francisco. He lowered his ERA from 22.50 to 17.36.

“He’s getting behind some guys,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin. “He’s normally a strike thrower. He walked a couple and gave up some hits, but got behind in some counts. And, as you saw, he was missing low with quite a few pitches and took a little while to find the strike zone and when he did, he was behind and they got some good swings off him.”

The Red Sox scored two runs in the third when Ceddanne Rafaela singled, Duran walked and Rafael Devers hit an RBI double. Rob Refsnyder then grounded out, scoring Duran.

Boston added two runs in the fourth when Wong led off with a double and scored on Enmanuel Valdez’s double. Duran’s stand-up triple scored Valdez.

Dom Smith, whom the Red Sox signed just before the game after he was released by Tampa Bay on Tuesday, had an RBI single in the fifth.

Tom Murphy led off the third with his first home run of the season, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.

Erik Miller, taking the rotation spot of left-hander Blake Snell, on the injured list with a left adductor strain, went one scoreless inning with two walks and a strikeout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: LHP Blake Snell, out since April 23 with a left adductor strain, threw a bullpen session on Wednesday.

Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta, out since April 6 with a right elbow flexor strain, is expected to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Thursday. … 2B Vaughn Grissom, out all season with a left hamstring strain, could rejoin the team on Friday, manager Alex Cora said. … INF Romy Gonzalez, out since April 11 with a left wrist sprain, could begin a rehab assignment Thursday or Friday.

UP NEXT

LHP Kyle Harrison (2-1, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to start for San Francisco, his first career appearance against Boston. RHP Josh Winckowski (1-1, 3.50) will start for Boston. He has two career appearances against the Giants, spanning 2 2/3 innings, with no decisions and a 3.38 ERA.

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AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/MLB

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Martin throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder heads to the dugout after scoring during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

San Francisco Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed (16) fields the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Luke Jackson throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Boston Red Sox second baseman Enmanuel Valdez, left, and outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, right, hug at the end of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Boston Red Sox second baseman Enmanuel Valdez tags out San Francisco Giants' Matt Chapman (26) for the first out of a double play throwing to first during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (12) hits the ball for an RBI during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Boston Red Sox starter pitcher Kutter Crawford throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Boston Red Sox starter pitcher Kutter Crawford throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Chris Kreider had a third-period hat trick to help the New York Rangers erase a two-goal deficit and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 6 on Thursday night to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Kreider single-handedly erased the Hurricanes' 3-1 lead entering the final period. The go-ahead score came when he got position on Jalen Chatfield at the top of the crease and tipped in Ryan Lindgren's pass to make it 4-3 with at the 15:41 mark.

That finally allowed the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers to put away the Hurricanes, who had won two straight after falling into a 3-0 hole in the best-of-7 series. The Hurricanes appeared on the verge of forcing a Game 7 for a pressure-packed finale, but couldn't contain Kreider and the Rangers' surge in the final 14 minutes.

Barclay Goodrow finished this one off by getting to a loose puck near the boards and scoring a long empty-net goal in the final minute, sending Goodrow to the nearby Rangers bench to be mobbed by teammates.

That sent the Rangers on to the Eastern Conference Final to face the Boston-Florida winner, with the Panthers leading that series 3-2.

Kreider’s first goal came when he cleaned up a stop by Frederik Andersen on Mika Zibanejad at the 6:43 mark to make it 3-2. He followed by tipping in a shot by Artemi Panarin to tie it at the 11:54 mark.

Igor Shesterkin hung in after a pressured first two periods, finishing with 33 saves and coming up with a big stop on Jordan Staal near the crease and another tying chance from Andrei Svechnikov off a faceoff win in the third period.

Vincent Trocheck also scored off a deflection in the second period for New York.

Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho scored for Carolina, while Andersen finished with 19 saves.

The Hurricanes also missed on multiple late chances to increase their lead, with Jordan Martinook — who had a highlight-reel sliding effort to knock away a loose puck from the goal line midway through the second period — and Jake Guentzel each pinging the metal past Shesterkin to come up empty.

There was also a big opportunity in the third when two Rangers collided and fell to the ice in their own end, leaving top Carolina center Sebastian Aho with a 1-on-1 chance on Shesterkin. But as Aho skated in from the left circle, he went wide right of the net as he tried to move to his backhand.

Those missed chances added up to a brutal exit for the Hurricanes, a team that was in the playoffs for the sixth time in as many seasons under Rod Brind'Amour and has been open about the goal of breaking through to win the Stanley Cup.

Carolina finished three points behind the Rangers for the Presidents’ Trophy awarded to the top team in the regular-season standings, and entered the NHL playoffs as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. But the Rangers won the first three games by one-goal margins — two coming in overtime — to threaten an unexpectedly quick resolution.

Carolina successfully beat back their power-play struggles for the Game 4 winner to stay alive, then rallied from a 1-0 deficit with four straight third-period goals to win Game 5 in Madison Square Garden and bring the series back to Raleigh.

But days later, the Rangers returned the favor with four straight of their own in the third, leaving a boisterous Hurricanes crowd in stunned disbelief.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) celebrates his goal, next to New York Rangers' Jimmy Vesey (26) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers' Vincent Trocheck (16) controls the puck in front of Carolina Hurricanes' Jaccob Slavin during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers' Barclay Goodrow (21) moves the puck around Carolina Hurricanes' Dmitry Orlov (7) during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers' Jonny Brodzinski (22) moves the puck around Carolina Hurricanes' Tony DeAngelo (77) during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Brady Skjei (76) protects the puck from New York Rangers' Barclay Goodrow (21) during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers' Ryan Lindgren (55) lands on top of Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Martin Necas (88) shoots against New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) blocks a Carolina Hurricanes shot during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen (31) blocks the shot of New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad, right rear, as Chris Kreider (20) waits for a rebound with Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) nearby during the first period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad, back right, and Vincent Trocheck (16) celebrate a goal by Chris Kreider on Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

New York Rangers' Chris Kreider, second from right, celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes with teammates during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)