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Red Sox Miss Tag, Lose To Astros 5-3 In 10 Innings

The Boston Red Sox lost two leads, two challenges and eventually the game.

Houston ended Boston's four-game winning streak by rallying past the Red Sox 5-3 in 10 innings on Friday night, giving the Astros their first victory at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox nearly got out of a jam in the 10th with two quick outs after Houston loaded the bases to start the inning, but Jake Marisnick came through with a blooper down the right-field line for a pair of RBIs.

"You can't defend a bloop double down the line," Boston manager John Farrell said. "It looks like we've got a chance to get out of it and Marisnick dumps a double just inside the line for the difference."

It was a deflating loss for the Red Sox, who couldn't hang onto a 3-2 lead with two outs in the eighth. Astros pinch-runner Gregorio Petit came all the way around from second base on a fielder's choice. Dexter Fowler slid safely into second as shortstop Xander Bogaerts' throw reached Dustin Pedroia, who saw Petit had rounded third and fired a strike to Christian Vazquez at the plate.

"I think Pedey makes a heads-up play even after the safe sign is called," Farrell said.

Petit sidestepped out of range for Vazquez to tag him and lunged toward home, getting a hand safely on the plate as reliever Burke Badenhop dropped the throw from Vazquez. The Red Sox challenged the play at home, anyway, as well as the call at second.

Both were upheld.

Farrell said the Red Sox made good defensive plays, starting with Bogaerts fielding a tough hop, but the Astros earned the run with hustle.

"Fowler at first base does a good job of getting to first base in a quick amount of time," Farrell said.

Then it was Petit, whom Vazquez appeared to have caught in a rundown before a quick sidestep and dropped ball allowed him to score the tying run.

"Christian's aggressiveness to run him back to third base, his momentum takes him inside the baseline and gives Petit enough room to elude the tag," Farrell said. "Unfortunately, that's a tie ballgame in that spot."

The Astros came back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to tie it, then took their first lead in the 10th after loading the bases with none out against reliever Craig Breslow (2-4).

Tony Sipp (3-2) shut down the Red Sox in order to end it.

Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer for Boston, and Clay Buchholz struck out nine in seven innings.

Rob Grossman homered for the Astros, who entered 0-8 at Fenway Park.

TURN THE BEAT AROUND

With their 51st win of the season, the Astros matched last year's total. Houston also tied the current win total of the defending World Series champion Red Sox.

POWER SURGE

Cespedes connected in the fourth, his third homer in the last five games. He has three home runs in 12 games for the Red Sox since coming over from Oakland in a July 31 trade for Jon Lester. All three have come in less than a week with at least one runner on base.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: Pedroia left in the ninth inning with a sore right foot. ... C David Ross (plantar tendon) took batting practice and is doing footwork with his shin guards on. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 2.

UP NEXT

RHP Brad Peacock (3-8, 5.25 ERA) faces the Red Sox for the first time since a very short outing in Houston on July 13. Peacock was pulled with one out in the first after Brock Holt hit a leadoff homer, then Boston loaded the bases on a single, a walk and a hit batter.

Boston RHP Rubby De La Rosa (4-4, 3.21) tries to win back-to-back starts for the second time this season. De La Rosa, who won consecutive starts in July but then lost his next two, held the Angels to one run on five hits and struck out eight over seven innings Sunday.

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