BOSTON (Interstat) — Caleb Durbin’s solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night at Fenway Park, snapping a back-and-forth battle that featured four ties and three lead changes before a crowd of 37,659.

The game lasted 2 hours, 24 minutes.

Baltimore struck first in the opening inning. Gunnar Henderson doubled to shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng and scored on a ground-rule double down the right-field line by Tyler O’Neill. The Orioles led 1-0 after the top of the first.

Boston answered in the second. Willson Contreras led off with a sharp single to center, advanced to second on a Masataka Yoshida ground single, moved to third on a flyout by Durbin and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jarren Duran. The game was tied 1-1.

The Red Sox seized the lead in the third. After two quick outs, Ceddanne Rafaela reached on a throwing error by Baltimore second baseman Jeremiah Jackson. Wilyer Abreu doubled to center, scoring Rafaela. Abreu advanced to third on a throwing error by shortstop Henderson. Contreras then singled through a deflected ball off second base, scoring Abreu to make it 3-1 Boston.

Baltimore starter Shane Baz settled in after the rocky third. He worked a clean fourth inning, getting a double play to erase a Duran single, and retired the side in order in the fifth.

The Orioles tied the game in the top of the sixth. Christian Encarnacion-Strand led off with a solo home run to left-center, cutting the deficit to 3-2. After Sam Huff struck out, Taylor Ward grounded out. Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch but was caught stealing second to end the inning.

Baltimore’s comeback continued in the sixth. With one out, O’Neill singled to third. Coby Mayo struck out, but Leody Taveras singled to center, putting runners at first and second. Jeremiah Jackson laced a line-drive single to left, scoring O’Neill and sending Taveras to third. Encarnacion-Strand then singled to center, deflected by second baseman Anthony Seigler, scoring Taveras and giving Baltimore a 4-3 lead. Huff struck out to end the inning.

Boston responded immediately in the bottom half. Abreu led off with a soft grounder to the mound that Baz fielded, but his throw to first was errant, allowing Abreu to reach second. Contreras doubled to left, scoring Abreu and tying the game 4-4. Yoshida grounded out, moving Contreras to third, but Durbin and Duran both grounded out to end the inning.

Baltimore regained the lead in the seventh. Taylor Ward led off with a double to right. Alonso singled to center, putting runners at the corners. Henderson struck out. O’Neill grounded out to second, scoring Ward and moving Alonso to second. Boston catcher Connor Wong challenged a pitch result on the next batter, Dylan Beavers, and the call was overturned, giving Beavers a called third strike to end the inning. The Orioles led 5-4.

The Red Sox tied it again in the bottom of the seventh. Connor Wong singled to left. Tsung-Che Cheng grounded into a forceout, with Wong out at second. Anthony Seigler grounded out, moving Cheng to second. Rafaela singled to left, scoring Cheng. Rafaela advanced to second on a throwing error by left fielder Ward. Abreu flied out to center to end the inning, leaving the game knotted at 5-5.

Both teams went quietly in the top of the eighth. Baltimore’s Leody Taveras struck out, Jeremiah Jackson grounded out, and Jackson Holliday grounded out.

In the bottom of the eighth, Boston took the lead for good. After Contreras struck out and Yoshida struck out on a foul tip, Durbin stepped to the plate against Baltimore reliever Tyler Wells. Durbin launched a solo home run to left-center, his 10th of the season, giving Boston a 6-5 lead. Duran struck out to end the inning.

Baltimore mounted a final threat in the ninth. Colton Cowser drew a leadoff walk. Taylor Ward struck out on a foul tip. Pete Alonso struck out swinging. Henderson doubled to left, sending Cowser to third, but O’Neill lined out to shortstop Cheng to end the game.

Garrett Whitlock earned the win, pitching a scoreless eighth inning with one strikeout, improving to 5-1. Aroldis Chapman worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save, allowing one hit and striking out two. Wells took the loss, falling to 2-2.

Baz pitched six innings for Baltimore, allowing seven hits and four runs — two earned — with six strikeouts and one walk. Boston starter Payton Tolle went 5 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs with nine strikeouts and one walk. Tyron Guerrero allowed one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Offensively, Contreras led Boston with three hits and two RBIs. Durbin added the go-ahead homer. Abreu had two hits and an RBI. For Baltimore, Henderson recorded three hits, including two doubles. Encarnacion-Strand had two hits, including the home run, and drove in two. O’Neill had two hits and two RBIs.

The win improved Boston’s record to 51-48. Baltimore fell to 49-52.

The Orioles had won three straight entering the game, sweeping a weekend series at Houston. The Red Sox had taken three of four from Tampa Bay over the weekend. Monday’s game was the first of a three-game series between the American League East rivals. The teams continue Tuesday and Wednesday before Baltimore returns home to face Atlanta.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Boston 7, Baltimore 6. Interstat’s ELO system gave Boston a 58.40 percent probability to win. Boston was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 11 went under the over-under line of 8.5.