PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a three-run home run and rookie Rafael Flores Jr. homered for the third time in two days to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
Lowe’s homer came in the fifth inning off Jovani Moran and landed in the right-field stands, extending the Pirates’ lead to 7-2 as they won back-to-back games for the first time since July 26-27. Flores hit a solo shot off Jake Bennett (7-6) in the second to open the scoring after connecting twice Thursday in a 13-1 victory at Miami.
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Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales, center, walks to first base with manger Don Kelly, right, and a team trainer, after being hit by a pitch from Boston Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Brandon Lowe watches his three-home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran slides past the glove of Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis to score from third on a sacrifice fly by Nick Sogard off Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Rafael Flores Jr., right, is greeted by third base coach Tony Beasley as he rounds third base after hitting a solo home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run double in the third and scored on a single by Flores to make it 4-0. Lowe had three hits and Bryan Reynolds added two.
The Red Sox lost for the sixth time in seven games after winning 28 of 36. They had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth, but Mason Montgomery escaped the jam for his third save.
Rookie Bubba Chandler (6-8) won his third straight start, allowing two runs and four hits in five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. Bennett gave up four runs over four innings while losing for the fourth time in four starts.
Nick Sogard drove in two runs for the Red Sox.
Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales was struck on the helmet by a pitch from Moran in the fifth inning and left the game. Gonzales, who entered the day third in the NL in hitting, sustained a facial contusion and was replaced by pinch-runner Jacob Gonzalez.
The Pirates said Gonzales is day-to-day. The 27-year-old went 0 for 2, dropping his batting average to .307 in 118 games. He also has six home runs and a career-high 53 RBIs.
Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray (14-3, 2.79 ERA) was set to oppose RHP Jared Jones (2-4, 5.03) on Saturday night.
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Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales, center, walks to first base with manger Don Kelly, right, and a team trainer, after being hit by a pitch from Boston Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Brandon Lowe watches his three-home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran slides past the glove of Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis to score from third on a sacrifice fly by Nick Sogard off Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Rafael Flores Jr., right, is greeted by third base coach Tony Beasley as he rounds third base after hitting a solo home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Pittsburgh, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Audrey Werro stormed to the 800-meter title by holding off Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson down the home straight at the European championships on Friday.
The Swiss star, who was given a spot in the final after falling in the semifinal a day earlier, finished in 1 minute, 54.81 seconds at Alexander Stadium.
Hodgkinson closed the gap down the stretch but Werro willed herself across the line for gold ahead of her British rival. Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol took bronze.
“I was coming for the gold medal. It truly means a lot. I’m so happy with the finish of the race,” said Werro, who did her trademark lion's roar after winning.
Werro, sporting a small bandage on her right hip, took the lead in the first lap and never let up. Werro in late June ran the third-fastest women’s time ever: 1:53.80.
In one of Thursday's semifinal heats, Anais Bourgoin’s left hand made contact with Werro’s right foot and Werro tumbled on the last bend.
“It was not the best scenario to qualify like that,” Werro said. “It was just a little bit hard for me at this point as that fall was very dramatic in the semis. But I tried to convince myself that I have the second chance and I have to take it and do something great. I’m glad I had a second chance and I just took it.”
Hodgkinson had won the past two 800 titles at the European championships.
“Going into that last 100m I really thought I could catch her but sometimes you just don’t have enough and that was the case today,” Hodgkinson said. “Of course, I am very disappointed but it was a fantastic race.”
Werro broke the European championships record of 1:55.41 set in 1982 by Olga Mineyeva, European Athletics said.
It’s back-to-back doubles for Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, who defended her 10,000-meter title three nights after retaining her 5,000-meter crown.
Battocletti, the silver medalist in the 10,000 at the Paris Olympics, made her move with 200 meters remaining and Maureen Koster of the Netherlands and Belgium’s Jana van Lent couldn’t keep up.
Battocletti crossed the line in 31 minutes, 41.17 seconds. Koster took silver, and Van Lent won bronze.
In the high jump, Gianmarco Tamberi won his fourth European championships title — and third in a row — after clearing 2.32 meters.
The charismatic Tamberi, who famously shared gold with his good friend Mutaz Barshim at the 2020 Tokyo Games, pulled off his jersey and thumped his bare chest in celebration Friday.
Ukraine's Oleh Doroshchuk (2.30) took silver, and Tamberi teammate Matteo Sioli (2.27) won bronze.
Norway star Karsten Warholm lowered his own European championships record in the 400-meter hurdles by winning in 46.63 seconds for his fourth consecutive title in the discipline.
“It’s not as easy as it looks out there, I don’t take any medal for granted but today was extra special for me as nobody has ever won four in a row,” the 30-year-old Warholm said. “I was so locked in today.”
Germany's Emil Agyekum took bronze, and Ismail Nezir of Turkey was third.
Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis is hoping to break the world record — as a married man.
Duplantis, who tied the knot with Desiré Inglander in June, needed just one successful attempt at 5.60 meters to qualify for Sunday night’s final.
The world record is 6.31, which the Louisiana-born Duplantis vaulted in March. That was his 15th world record. He first broke it in 2020 and has eclipsed his mark by 1 centimeter every time since.
The two-time reigning Olympic champion looked fully recovered from a thigh issue that forced him to stop competing at the London Diamond League meet one month ago.
“I’ve worked really hard the past few weeks to try and make sure I am ready for this competition, so I feel good out there. I feel hopeful and confident for Sunday,” he said. "The jump was clean, good. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Now it’s just about going up there and doing what I normally do in the final on Sunday."
The world record holder signed autographs and shook hands with fans. Organizers sold special ‘Mondo’ children’s tickets priced at 6.31 pounds — the figure representing his latest world record height — for Friday morning’s session.
Duplantis also revealed on Friday he usually keeps his wedding band “in between my laces (of) my spikes” while he competes.
He said his marriage proposal and wedding day were more nerve-wracking than vaulting himself into rarefied air going for a world record.
“When I attempt a world record, it's just like the cherry on top," he said. "I don’t really even get that nervous, it's more like I won the competition and whatever happens after that is really nice.”
Duplantis competes for his mother’s native Sweden and has won the past three European championship titles.
See full AP coverage of European sports here
Karsten Warholm of Norway celebrates winning the men's 400 meters hurdles final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)
Nadia Battocletti of Italy celebrates with her gold medal after winning the women's 10,000 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)
Audrey Werro of Switzerland crosses the line to win the gold medal ahead of Keely Hodgkinson of Britain and Femke Broeders-Bol of the Netherlands in the women's 800 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Audrey Werro of Switzerland celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 800 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Audrey Werro of Switzerland poses after winning the gold medal in the women's 800 meters final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Armand Duplantis of Sweden waves to the public after competing in the men's pole vault qualifying at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)
Armand Duplantis of Sweden makes an attempt in the men's pole vault qualifying at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Armand Duplantis of Sweden makes an attempt in the men's pole vault qualifying at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
