Willson Contreras sparks Red Sox comeback with back-to-back HRs
Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning Thursday, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 comeback win over the Athletics in West Sacramento. Contreras' 23rd homer followed Abreu's 16th on consecutive pitches to erase a 4-3 deficit and secure the series victory.
Key Takeaways
- Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu went deep on consecutive pitches in the eighth to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 Red Sox lead.
- Boston beat the Athletics 5-4 on July 30, 2026, at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.
- Sonny Gray earned his 13th win and Aroldis Chapman closed for his 26th save.
- The Red Sox have now come from behind in eight of their last 12 victories.
What did Willson Contreras do in the eighth?
Trailing 4-3, Abreu tied the game with his 16th home run on a changeup from Athletics pitcher Luis Media, per Newsday. Contreras then connected on the very next pitch for his 23rd homer of the season.
MLB video of the sequence shows Abreu and Contreras clobbering back-to-back home runs to give Boston a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth. Contreras also reached base three times and was credited for strong defense in the win, according to Yahoo Sports coverage of the series victory.
How did the Red Sox complete the comeback?
The Athletics led 3-0 early before Boston tied it in the fifth on Andruw Monasterio's single and Ceddanne Rafaela's two-out, two-run double. Sacramento edged back ahead in the sixth when Lawrence Butler doubled, moved up, and scored on Carlos Cortes' sacrifice fly.
Gray, the Athletics' first-round pick in 2011, worked seven innings for Boston and allowed four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Greg Weissert retired three batters before Chapman worked around a one-out double in the ninth for the save.
Rafaela finished with two hits and two RBIs. Boston has won 23 consecutive games when scoring four runs or more and needed the late surge after adding two more defensive errors in a messy series.
Why does this win still matter beyond the score?
The late power surge from willson contreras and Abreu sealed a series win despite shaky defense and an awkward dugout flare-up. Yahoo Sports reported that Jarren Duran directed frustration at Contreras and third-base coach Chad Epperson after a fly ball was not tagged up on.
Even with the odd moment, Boston got the result that counted: clutch homers, a starter's win, and a clean closer finish. For more market-moving alerts and fast news briefs, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
Up next, left-hander Ranger Suárez (4-3, 3.02 ERA) starts for the Red Sox against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Friday, while the Athletics send Jeffrey Springs (3-10, 6.23) against the Tigers.