Michael Harris II homers, has 4 hits to help Braves outlast Red Sox 7-6

BOSTON (AP) — Michael Harris II had four hits, including a two-run home run, Matt Olson added another two-run homer, and the Atlanta Braves held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday night.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Braves, who had beaten the Red Sox in three of their four meetings this season. It was Harris’ ninth four-hit game and his second of the season.

Atlanta led 7-4 in the ninth when things got a little dicey

Boston led off the inning with a Mickey Jasper single and a Nick Sogard double off Raizel Iglesias.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa closed the gap in the run with a two-run single, followed by a single by Jarren Duran. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a hard ground ball to third for the second out of the inning.

Wilyer Abreu then hit a grounder back to Iglesias to end the game.

Braves starter Spencer Strider (3-0) went five innings plus one hit, allowing three runs on three hits, including two home runs. Iglesias made his ninth save.

Jarren Duran, Rafaela Sedan and Isiah Keener-Faleeva return for Boston, which has lost its last four games. Red Sox outfielder Ranger Suarez (2-3) lasted five innings, plus three hits, allowing five runs on six hits, including a home run.

A Kiner-Falefa 7th inning blast off Dylan Lee into the Green Monster bench brought Boston within 5-4 going into the 7th.

But the momentum was short-lived as Harris’ homer in the next inning pushed the lead to three runs.

The night for the round-robin visitors began when Duran and Sedan hit back-to-back homers in the first period, sending the ropes to opposite sides of the field to put Boston up 2-0.

He let Suarez mostly sail until the fifth inning, when Atlanta tied the game on Olson’s two-run homer, to right field. It was the 15th home run of the season for Olson, who entered the night with only extra-base hits (both doubles) in his previous 13 games.

This was followed in the sixth inning by Harris’ RBI double that scored Austin Riley.

Suarez exited after a Harris double in favor of reliever Greg Weissert. But that didn’t stop Atlanta from adding two more runs via a Dominic Smith RBI single and Ronald Acuña Jr.’s RBI single that made it 5-2.

Braves RHP Bryce Elder (4-2, 1.97 ERA) is scheduled to start opposite Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (4-2, 3.33)