BOSTON (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a three-run home run and the Boston Red Sox held off the San Francisco Giants 6-4 on Friday night in the return of Rafael Devers to Fenway Park.
The Giants pulled within 5-4 in the fourth inning after Drew Gilbert hit a two-run homer off Boston starter Sonny Gray, and Devers followed with a solo homer, his 26th this season.
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Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu heads toward first base after hitting an RBI triple during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers reacts to being back at Fenway Park before a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
Boston Red Sox's Willson Contreras, right, reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
But Wilyer Abreu’s RBI triple in the sixth gave Boston enough cushion. Gray (16-3) pitched six innings, allowing four runs off seven hits and while striking out six. Aroldis Chapman struck out three and walked one in the ninth to pick up his 28th save.
Bryce Eldridge added an RBI single for San Francisco.
Contreras jumped on an 85-mph changeup from Giants starter Logan Webb (8-8) and crushed a 450-foot rope over the Green Monster and out of stadium for his 26th homer to put the Red Sox in front 3-1.
It was part of a five-run inning for Boston. Webb walked Andruw Monasterio with the bases loaded and then hit Mickey Gasper to let in another run before being pulled.
Friday marked Devers’ first time back at Fenway Park since a refusal to play first base contributed to the three-time All-Star being traded to San Francisco 14 months ago.
Devers received a mix of cheers and boos when he was introduced. The boos were more prominent when he came up to bat. Then, when Gray struck him out, the home crowd erupted in applause.
But Boston fans also cheered for Devers between the first and second innings after a highlight video of him was played on the video screen. Devers was shown on camera applauding and waving.
Giants RHP Blade Tidwell (0-0, 4.33 ERA) will matchup against Red Sox LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 4.76).
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu heads toward first base after hitting an RBI triple during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers reacts to being back at Fenway Park before a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
Boston Red Sox's Willson Contreras, right, reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Geno Smith capped a perfect one-series cameo by throwing for a touchdown and the New York Jets picked off a pair of passes in a 17-0 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.
Smith, who sat out New York's preseason opener with a sore left ankle, started and drove the Jets 69 yards to the end zone, the last 13 coming on a flip to a wide-open Jelani Woods. Smith, who played for the Jets from 2013 to 2016 and was acquired from Las Vegas in March, went 7 for 7 for 65 yards on the drive in what will likely be the 13-year veteran's lone exhibition appearance.
New York's defense, a major weakness during a 3-14 slog in 2025, kept young Pittsburgh quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar in check. Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey, the second overall pick in this year's draft, dropped Howard for an 11-yard loss in the first quarter.
Perhaps even more promising for New York, the defense also found a way to catch the ball, something that didn't happen at all during the regular season a year ago when the Jets became the first team since the NFL started tracking the statistic in 1933 to go an entire year without a single pick.
New York intercepted Howard twice in the first half with the Steelers driving in New York territory.
Andre Cisco stepped in front of a poor Howard pass intended for Roman Wilson and raced 23 yards the other way. Samuel Womack made a nice grab on a ball again intended for Wilson with the Steelers in New York territory.
Howard and Allar, given the entirety of the workload while starter Aaron Rodgers and longtime backup Mason Rudolph took the night off, failed to reproduce the fireworks that marked their impressive debuts a week ago.
The duo who combined to lead four touchdown drives against the Packers failed to reach the end zone even once against the Jets.
Howard got the start and completed 10 of 15 passes for 75 yards, his most impressive moment coming on a 15-yard third-down connection with Ben Skowronek in which he stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure before finding Skowronek over the middle.
That moment, however, was overshadowed by a pair of throws that ended up in the hands of the Jets on a night the former sixth-round pick looked very much like the project that he is.
Allar, taken in the third round this year, avoided turning the ball over but wasn't quite as electrifying as he was last week. His best moment came on a 39-yard connection with tight end Lake McCree in which Allar went through his progressions before floating the ball to an open McCree down the sideline. Allar finished 11 of 23 for 110 yards.
Rookie Cade Klubnik, competing for the No. 2 job behind Smith, didn't lead the Jets to the end zone, but he did pass for 75 yards while hitting on 10 of 14 pass attempts. Klubnik also scrambled 16 yards for a first down, the longest running play of the night by either team.
Jets cornerback Tre Brown was helped off the field in the second quarter, but he returned.
Jets: Host MetLife Stadium roommates the New York Giants on Aug. 28.
Steelers: Travel to Buffalo on Aug. 27.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) avoids a tackle during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the New York Jets, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
New York Jets safety Andre Cisco (8) runs the ball after intercepting a pass during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard, left, reacts after being sacked by New York Jets linebacker David Bailey (31) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith throws during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) greets teammates before an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
