Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single helps Red Sox to 5-3 win over Reds in completion of suspended game

BOSTON (AP) – Wilyer Abreu hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon and the Boston Red Sox beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in the completion of a game suspended by rain a night earlier.

Trevor Story added an RBI double after Abreu’s hit, sending Boston to its third win in four games after a six-game losing skid, its longest since September 2022.

Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer for the Reds, who have dropped three of four.

Brayan Bello (4-3) worked five innings of relief and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs for his 15th save.

With just a few thousand fans of the 32,355 paid attendance in Fenway Park, play resumed at 2:32 p.m. before Steer, the National League’s reigning player of the week, hit an 0-1 cutter from Bello into the Green Monster seats to make it 3-2 in the fourth.

The Red Sox won the opener of the three-game series Monday when Abreu became just the sixth player in major league history to hit an inside-the-park homer and grand slam in the same game. The previous was Roger Maris on August 3, 1958.

Tuesday’s game was halted after three innings, delayed 1 hour, 20 minutes before it was suspended. It was the Reds’ second suspended game this season. The second part of this game lasted 2 hours, 9 minutes.

With a pinch runner Nate Eaton on third and two outs, Abreu blooped a single to right against Lyon Richardson (0-3). Story then doubled off the center field wall.

The Red Sox are a win away from getting back to .500 (43-44) this season.

Reds RHP Nick Martinez (5-8, 4.12 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the regularly scheduled nightcap. Red Sox manager Alex Cora hadn’t announced a starter yet.