Eugenio Suarez hits a 3-run homer and Reds beat Red Sox 3-2 to win season-opening series

CINCINNATI (AP) — Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run home run and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Sunday to win their season-opening series.

Suarez’s homer, his first since rejoining the Reds this offseason, came on an 0-2 pitch from Greg Weissert with two runners aboard in the sixth to put Cincinnati ahead 3-2.

It was his 190th homer in a Reds uniform, one shy of Brandon Phillips for 12th on the franchise’s all-time list.

Wilyer Abreu went 6 for 13 for Boston in the three-game series with two home runs, two doubles, and four RBIs.

Connelly Early, 23, was the youngest pitcher to start one of the Red Sox’ first three games in a season since Jeff Sellers in 1987 and the youngest left-hander to do so since Billy Rohr in 1967.

Early pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 96 pitches.

Reds rookie Rhett Lowder made his first appearance since Sept. 28, 2024, after missing the entire 2025 season with both a right forearm strain and left oblique strain.

Abreu, who tied the score in the ninth on Saturday with a two-out solo homer, hit a two-run homer off Lowder in the fourth to put Boston ahead 2-0.

Lowder allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts on 86 pitches through five innings.

The Red Sox had runners on first and third in the eighth but Tony Santillan struck out Caleb Durbin to end the inning.

They had the tying and go-ahead runners aboard in the ninth but Emilio Pagan got Trevor Story to fly out to center for the final out.

Reds designated hitter Sal Stewart, who went 7 for 10 in the series, went 2 for 2 with a double and two walks.

Red Sox: Left-hander Ranger Suarez is scheduled to start Monday's series opener in Houston.

Reds: Right-hander Chase Burns is scheduled to start Monday's series opener in Pittsburgh.

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