Roman Anthony Hits Pinch-Hit Home Run in Red Sox Loss

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Roman Anthony came off the bench to hit a solo home run for the Boston Red Sox in their 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday. Anthony, who was left out of the starting lineup after a tough game the previous day, took Astros closer Bryan Abreu deep in the ninth inning for his first homer of the 2026 season.

Why it matters

Anthony is one of the Red Sox's top young prospects, and the team has high expectations for him this season. While he struggled at the plate recently, the pinch-hit home run shows he can still make an impact off the bench and provides a glimmer of hope for the Red Sox during their current five-game losing streak.

The details

After going 1-for-17 with 10 strikeouts in his previous four games, Red Sox manager Alex Cora decided to sit Anthony on Wednesday. But in the ninth inning, Cora called on Anthony to pinch-hit for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Anthony responded by hitting a solo home run to left-center field off Astros closer Bryan Abreu, his first of the season.

• On Tuesday, Anthony had a four-strikeout game.
• On Wednesday, Anthony hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning.

What’s next

The Red Sox will attempt to snap their five-game losing streak when they host the San Diego Padres in their home opener on Friday at 2:10 p.m. ET.