BOSTON — Ceddanne Rafaela tripled off the center field wall to drive in the game-ending run in the ninth inning on Friday night, giving the Red Sox a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers and clinching Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021.

Boston rallied from a 3-0 deficit to move two games ahead of the Tigers and three games ahead of Houston in the race for the last two American League wild-card spots. The Astros lost to the Los Angeles Angels later Friday night.

Boston tied the game in the eighth inning and then Romy Gonzalez singled to center with one out in the ninth. Rafaela, who missed clearing the Green Monster in the seventh by about a foot, sent a 1-0 pitch off the wall in center.

Gonzalez, who held up to make sure it wasn’t caught, raced around to score as his teammates st

See Full Page