BOSTON (AP) — Pinch hitter Ceddanne Rafaela had a tiebreaking, two-run infield single in the seventh inning and the Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 8-6 on Monday in Boston’s annual Patriots’ Day game to salvage a split of their four-game series.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa also had a two-run single for the Red Sox, who halted a two-game skid.
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A giant national flag covered the Green Monster left field wall at Fenway Park before the annual Patriot's Day baseball game of the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' outfielder Jarren Duran runs a gauntlet of young fans as he heads onto the field for the start of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' Caleb Durbin dives headfirst into home plate as he scores on a second inning throwing error by Detriot Tigers' pitcher Jack Flaherrty, right, during a baseball game Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' starting pitcher Sonny Gray, left, is visited on the mound by manager Alex Cora, right, during a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' Ceddanne Rafaela hits a two run pinch hit single down the right field line in the seventh inning during a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
The Tigers lost for just the second time in 10 games after taking the last two.
The game coincided with the running of the Boston Marathon. The Red Sox wore their special “Boston” home white jerseys, which debuted as a tribute to the city after the marathon bombings in 2013.
Boston starter Sonny Gray left the game in the third inning with right hamstring tightness.
Garrett Whitlock (2-1), the sixth of eight Red Sox pitchers, worked a perfect inning for the victory. Aroldis Chapman got the last two outs for his fourth save.
Rafaela’s grounder off reliever Tyler Holton (0-1) put the Red Sox ahead 5-3. Rafaela advanced to second on a throw to the plate that cut down a runner, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Carlos Narváez’s single.
The Tigers had taken a 3-2 edge in the sixth on Jahmai Jones’ pinch-hit RBI single before the Red Sox tied it in the bottom half on Roman Anthony’s single.
Detroit starter Jack Flaherty lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up two unearned runs and three hits. He walked six and had three strikeouts.
Gray gave up a run on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Tigers: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday when RHP Keider Montero (1-1, 3.31 ERA) is set to face Brewers LHP Kyle Harrison (1-1, 3.07) in the opener of a three-game series.
Red Sox: Begin a three-game series against the Yankees on Tuesday with LHP Connelly Early (1-0, 2.29) set to face New York’s RHP Luis Gil (0-1, 7.00).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
A giant national flag covered the Green Monster left field wall at Fenway Park before the annual Patriot's Day baseball game of the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' outfielder Jarren Duran runs a gauntlet of young fans as he heads onto the field for the start of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' Caleb Durbin dives headfirst into home plate as he scores on a second inning throwing error by Detriot Tigers' pitcher Jack Flaherrty, right, during a baseball game Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' starting pitcher Sonny Gray, left, is visited on the mound by manager Alex Cora, right, during a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox' Ceddanne Rafaela hits a two run pinch hit single down the right field line in the seventh inning during a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
BOSTON (AP) — Sharon Lokedi couldn't quite find her rhythm early in the 130th Boston Marathon.
The pace wasn't quite to her liking and she began to feel herself getting tired. Then she made a decision.
“Honestly, I just went with it and I pulled through at that time I was like, I can just push it and see how it goes," Lokedi said.
She figured things out, and then some.
Lokedi captured her second straight Boston Marathon women's title on Monday, fending off a late challenge and powering through the 26.2 miles of the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 51 seconds to lead an all-Kenyan podium sweep.
It was the fourth-fastest time ever by a woman in Boston and marked the 18th win by a Kenyan woman.
“I left it all out there, that’s all I can say," Lokedi said.
Loice Chemnung was on her shoulder late before fading and crossing second in 2:19:35. Mary Ngugi-Cooper was third in 2:20:07. Mercy Chelangat came across 23 seconds later to make it a Kenyan top 4.
Ngugi-Cooper, who finished second in Boston in 2021, said getting on the podium was like a “thank you” to a city that has always embraced her.
“This is a special race for me," she said.
Jess McClain was the best American finisher in fifth place, crossing in 2:20:49 — the fastest time for a U.S. women in the Boston race's history. She was also the top American last year, running the then-fourth-fastest time ever for a U.S. woman in Boston when she finished seventh in her debut. Monday's time was 1:54 faster than her time last year and 1:13 better than the previous record held by Shalane Flanagan from 2014.
“To do that on a day like today with amazing conditions and to run the time that I knew was in me, at some point in the wheelhouse of what I can do, is really awesome," McClain said.
McClain’s effort on Monday came after she received resolution regarding a wrong turn at the U.S. half marathon championships last month. The Phoenix resident was ahead by a wide margin with about 1.5 miles to go when she and three other runners followed the guide vehicle on a wrong turn.
Track and field’s international governing body decided to allow seven Americans — instead of the usual four — to compete at the world championships in Denmark.
Lokedi came into Monday as the overwhelming favorite for the 130th Boston Marathon after she traversed the course last year in 2:17:22 to break the 11-year-old course record and deprived runner-up Hellen Obiri of a third straight title.
In that 2025 race, Lokedi outdueled Obiri, sprinting away from her late in the race.
With Obiri opting to skip Boston and run in London later this month, Lokedi had to fend off Chemnung and another Kenyan, Irine Chepet, in the latter part of the course. Chepet ended up in sixth place.
It was just Lokedi and Chemnung to fight it out with just over four miles to go before the defending champion opened about a 10-second gap, taking the lead entering the Newton Hills.
She ran Miles 22, 23 and 24 in 4:41, 4:48 and 4:35, respectively.
But she barely had any idea what her splits were. While on the bus heading to the starting line, she realized she had forgotten her watch. She wound up borrowing one at the last minute, but didn't check it down the stretch.
“I knew I was going fast, I just didn’t know how fast I was going," Lokedi said. “I just wanted to run as fast as I could.”
She wouldn’t relinquish her lead, finding more speed going downhill and she was all alone by the time she reached downtown and sprinted up Boylston Street to the finish line.
“I just had to be patient,” Lokedi said. “I was very tired, I didn’t know if I had it today. ... But I felt like this was it. I was either going to go or I was going to stay.”
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Boston Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi takes the lead on the course heading up Heartbreak Hill in Newton, Mass., on Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jennifer McDermott)
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, celebrates while approaching the finish line to win the women's division of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, celebrates after winning the women's division of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, celebrates after winning the women's division of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
