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Sox: Three in 8th Is Enough

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ST. PETERSBURG – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox scored three runs over the eighth and ninth innings en route to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in Florida Jarren Duran and Reese McGuire both homered as Boston took the first two games of the three-game series, giving the Red Sox their first series win at Tropicana Field since 2019.

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Boston got to Rays reliever Jason Adam (2-1) for two decisive runs in the eighth inning, which began with Ceddanne Rafaela singling and stealing second before scoring on Wilyer Abreu’s base hit into center.

Abreu was later tagged out overrunning second base on a steal, but Duran soon swiped home as part of a double steal with Rafael Devers, who had been intentionally walked. Devers’ six-game home run streak ended on Tuesday.

McGuire then homered to right-center in the ninth to close the scoring.

Greg Weissert (2-1) earned the win, and Kenley Jansen worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his eighth save.

Isaac Paredes went 3-for-4 with both Tampa Bay RBIs.

The Rays recorded just three hits after the first inning.

After being shut out in Monday’s series opener, the Rays came out swinging and scored two runs during a four-hit first inning to take the lead. Josh Lowe’s leadoff single and a Randy Arozarena double set the table for Paredes to drive home both runners with a single.

The Red Sox got right back in the game on Vaughn Grissom’s run-scoring single in the second.

Boston starter Cooper Criswell settled in after the shaky start, allowing two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out six.

After Jose Siri led off the home half of the second with a single, Criswell retired nine straight batters before walking Alex Jackson with one out in the fifth.

Criswell’s fine work allowed the Red Sox to come back and tie the game when Duran launched a solo homer to center in the sixth.

Tampa Bay starter Zack Littell struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and two runs. He walked one.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox and Rays Meet Again

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TAMPA-ST.PETE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Tampa Bay Rays will play an 11th straight game against an American League East foe on Monday evening when they open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox in Florida.

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The Rays are a combined 6-4 against the New York Yankees, Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays in the 10-game stretch. They took three of four last week from the Red Sox and have had the upper hand over the past five-plus seasons against Boston.

Manager Kevin Cash’s squad sports a 57-31 mark against the Red Sox since 2019, although Boston claimed the most important triumphs when it won three of four games in the 2021 AL Division Series.

Last week in their first matchups between the teams in 2024, Tampa Bay overcame an awful gaffe before posting a series win. With two outs and Jason Adam trying to close a series-clinching win, the reliever yielded a walk to Rob Refsnyder and a single to Rafael Devers, prompting a mound visit from Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder.

However, the Rays were out of visits — a fact noted on the Fenway Park scoreboard — and Adam was removed for swingman Erasmo Ramirez, who prevented further embarrassment by getting a game-ending comebacker.

“Hundred percent on me. I let the mound visits slip in my mind,” Cash said. “I screwed up, and I’m glad that it didn’t cost us a ballgame.”

With left-handed reliever Colin Poche (back) on the injured list, the Rays made a trade Saturday for southpaw Richard Lovelady. He specializes in retiring left-handed hitters, with a .235 career average against him.

Garrett Cleavinger currently is the only bullpen option from that side.

Tampa Bay’s seven-game road trip ended on a sour note as the Blue Jays topped the Rays 5-2 on Sunday.

Isaac Paredes homered with two outs in the ninth to keep the Rays from being blanked for the second time this season as Tampa Bay lost for the first time in the past five games.

“Awesome, we’re rolling,” said catcher Ben Rortvedt, who had one of his team’s four hits. “We didn’t end the road trip the way we should have, but we feel good.”

Boston snapped a four-game losing streak Sunday by way of six excellent innings of one-hit, one-run ball from starter Nick Pivetta and homers from Tyler O’Neill and Devers in an 11-3 win at the St. Louis Cardinals.

O’Neill, a former Cardinals player, rocked a 439-foot shot in the first inning. Devers stepped up in the sixth, tying Bobby Dalbec’s franchise record with a homer in his fifth straight game.

“Pretty special weekend for me and my family,” O’Neill told The Roku Channel. “Circled this one on the calendar for a long time coming.”

Monday’s meeting will be a rematch between Tanner Houck and Taj Bradley, who squared off Wednesday in the Rays’ 4-3 victory.

Houck (3.15, 2.17 ERA) allowed three runs, only one earned, and five hits in 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts en route to dropping his fourth straight decision.

Across 58 innings, the right-hander has allowed 14 earned runs and 48 hits. He has surrendered one home run, and his 1.02 WHIP and .219 batting average against are elite.

In six career appearances (four starts) against the Rays, Houck is 0-4 with a 5.91 ERA.

Bradley (1-1, 2.45 ERA) won Wednesday’s game with five innings of two-run ball on four hits with six strikeouts.

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 4.20 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Face Cards for 3-Game Set

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ST. LOUIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After losing three of their past four games at home, the Boston Red Sox will try to regroup on their six-game road swing. That journey begins when they open a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

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The Red Sox are coming off a 7-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night in one their best offensive games of the month. Jarren Duran (3-for-5, homer, two doubles, two runs) and Rafael Devers (2-for-4, homer, two runs) led the attack. Devers has hit a homer in consecutive games while Duran is 5-for-8 with four doubles and three runs in his past two outings.

But since May 2, the Red Sox have scored three or fewer runs nine times. They went 4-9 during that period to fall further off the pace in the American League East.

The Red Sox will open the series with starting pitcher Brayan Bello (4-1, 3.13 ERA), who came off the 15-day injured list to earn a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in his most recent start. He allowed those two runs on four hits over five innings while striking out one and walking two.

“For his first one coming out of the IL? Good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Gave us five, two runs. So now he’ll be ready for the next one.”

Right lat tightness had knocked Bello out of the starting rotation for a few turns.

“Feels good to be back, feels good to help the team win and also it feels good that a lot of good things are happening for us right now,” Bello told reporters through the team interpreter. “A lot of guys are coming back, so it feels really nice.”

This will be his first career appearance against the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of their past 14 games.

St. Louis will counter with starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (2-2, 3.67). He received a pair of no-decisions over his past two starts, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in 11 innings.

Gibson struck out 11 and walked six in those games. He didn’t receive much in terms of run support, which has been a persistent problem for St. Louis this season.

During their 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, the Cardinals were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They went 11-for-73 while posting a 3-4 record on their trip against the Milwaukee Brewers and Angels.

Still, St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said he believes his team is in a better place ahead of this Boston series after taking two of three from the Angels.

“Road trip started in a bad way,” Marmol said Wednesday in Anaheim Calif. “Look at how those first games, especially that second game in Milwaukee (an 11-2 loss last Friday). They weren’t good at all. The third game (a 5-3 loss last Saturday) I actually felt like we got beat. We didn’t beat ourselves. And that was the turning point for how the rest of the series went in Milwaukee and how the first two games went here. Feel good going back home. Really do.

“We’re in a much better spot. All areas of the game look like they’re supposed to right now. The offense is starting to click. And that’s what we’ve been missing. It feels right.”

Gibson is 4-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 10 career starts against the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media

Diaz Takes Down Red Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Tampa’s Yandy Diaz’s two-run single in the sixth inning was the difference as the Rays edged past the host Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Wednesday. The Diaz hit highlighted a three-run frame, and the relief trio of Shawn Armstrong, Pete Fairbanks and Kevin Kelly combined to throw three scoreless innings to finish the game.

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Kelly recorded his first save of the season for Taj Bradley (1-1), who struck out six while allowing just two runs on four hits over the first five innings.

Jose Siri went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Tampa Bay, which has won two of the first three games in the four-game series.

Jarren Duran went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored while Wilyer Abreu and Rafael Devers homered for the Red Sox.

Boston manufactured a go-ahead run right out of the gates in the first inning, as Duran lined a leadoff double off the Green Monster in center and scored on Connor Wong’s sacrifice fly two batters later.

Boston starter Tanner Houck (3-5) pitched a 1-2-3 first inning before working around baserunners in each of the next two frames, but the visitors knotted the score at 1-1 in the fourth.

After Jonathan Aranda walked and Isaac Paredes chopped a single down the third-base line with one out, Richie Palacios reached on Boston first baseman Garrett Cooper’s fielding error to get Tampa Bay on the scoreboard.

Abreu wasted no time giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead back in their half of the fourth, launching a towering solo home run out to right.

The Rays didn’t take the lead back until Houck departed after allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits over 5 2/3 innings.

After Palacios and Jose Caballero hit consecutive singles and a strikeout of Ben Rortvedt ended Houck’s day in the sixth, Siri knocked a game-tying base hit through the left side. Palacios scored just ahead of catcher Wong’s tag.

Caballero swiped third before scoring ahead of Siri on Diaz’s single past diving shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela and into left.

The Red Sox got a run back in the last of the sixth when Devers lined a solo shot to straightaway center, but got no further as the final three Tampa Bay relievers recorded scoreless frames.

Despite the loss, Boston’s bullpen was also strong as Cam Booser and Chase Anderson combined to throw three scoreless and hitless innings after Weissert exited. Booser struck out four over two frames.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Win in 12 Innings

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Romy Gonzalez ripped a walk-off single just inside the first-base line in the bottom of the 12th inning as the Red Sox earned a 5-4 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

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Before scoring single runs in the 11th and 12th innings, the Red Sox had been held scoreless since Ceddanne Rafaela’s solo home run in the fifth.

Dominic Smith first put Boston ahead with a two-run double in the fourth.

Rafaela’s throwing error from shortstop on Isaac Paredes’ fielder’s choice scored Randy Arozarena to put Tampa Bay ahead in the 11th. The Red Sox answered in the bottom of the inning as Rob Refsnyder’s grounder back to the pitcher — which was unable to turn into an inning-ending double play — scored David Hamilton with Boston’s tying run.

The Red Sox then won it in the 12th after reliever Brennan Bernardino (2-1) caught Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt looking at strike three, stranding runners on the corners. Wong then scored the clinching run for Boston.

Josh Lowe (home run), Paredes and Amed Rosario all had multiple hits for Tampa Bay. Arozarena also went deep.

Manuel Rodriguez (0-1) took the loss.

After Tampa Bay tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth, strong relief pitching limited each team to just a single hit until the game reached extras.

Zack Kelly worked an impressive 10th, stranding the automatic runner at third with an inning-ending strikeout of Harold Ramirez. In the bottom half, Tampa Bay reliever Jason Adams turned a Vaughn Grissom liner into a double play to get through the frame.

The Rays struck first in the first inning for the second straight night, staking Aaron Civale to a 1-0 lead when Lowe took Pivetta deep to right-center field for a two-out solo home run.

Civale allowed only Rafael Devers’ leadoff single through the first three innings, but the Red Sox tagged him for two go-ahead runs in the fourth as Smith ripped a double past Lowe’s dive in right.

Rafaela upped Boston’s lead to 3-1 in the fifth, taking a one-out pitch deep down the left-field line for a solo homer.

After Arozarena homered to left-center to end Pivetta’s outing, Justin Slaten came out of the Boston bullpen and allowed a Lowe double to center and then Paredes dumped a single into shallow right to make it 3-3.

Aside from the homers, Pivetta allowed just two other hits and struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings.

A product of nearby Northeastern University, Civale finished the first Fenway Park start of his MLB career with six strikeouts and three runs allowed on five hits across the first five innings.

–Field Level Media

Jansen, Red Sox Take on Rays

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Tampa Bay Rays probably won’t have to worry about Kenley Jansen when they visit the Boston Red Sox on today for the start of a four-game series.

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Jansen, Boston’s closer, pitched in each of his team’s past three games, and he earned the save in the Red Sox’s victories on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s good, man,” Jansen said following Boston’s 3-2 series-clinching triumph over Washington on Sunday. “It’s fun. Coming out there more often is better. I’m gonna be sharper. Last three in a row. Now I’m going to go on vacation (Monday), but I’ll come back the next day. Feel great.

“We’re showing that we can pitch. We just have to keep playing and give the hitters a chance to win ballgames.”

Jansen has seven saves this season and 427 in his career — fifth most in major league history. Sunday marked the first time he pitched three days in a row this year.

“That means he feels good, right?” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We didn’t see that last year early in the season. … Glad that he was available. Glad he got the save.”

Despite losing two of three games against the New York Yankees over the weekend, Tampa Bay is coming off a 6-3 homestand.

The Rays surrendered five home runs during Sunday’s 10-6 setback.

“I thought we played really well the first two (games), and then I still think we did some really good things (Sunday),” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “Would have liked to find a way to win the series, but I feel like we’re heading into the road trip a better team than when we came here.”

The Yankees took a 6-0 lead on Sunday, but Tampa Bay was within a run following a five-run seventh inning that included a grand slam from Jose Siri.

“Encouraged and happy for (Siri),” Cash said. “He has been going through it a little bit. That was a big hit in the moment to get us right back in the ballgame with one swing of the bat. Took a lot of good at-bats to get there.”

Kutter Crawford (2-1, 1.75 ERA) is listed as Boston’s probable starter on Monday, opposing fellow right-hander Zach Eflin (2-4, 3.75).

Crawford has gone at least six innings in each of his past four starts. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out six in six innings in his most recent outing, a no-decision against Atlanta last Tuesday.

Crawford is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in six career appearances (three starts) against Tampa Bay. He’s recorded 29 strikeouts in 24 innings against the Rays.

Eflin is coming off a seven-inning outing, earning a win against the visiting Chicago White Sox last Tuesday. He gave up a run on six hits, struck out three and didn’t issue a walk.

Eflin is 1-0 with a 6.16 ERA in his career against the Red Sox. He’s faced Boston four times (all starts) and has given up 23 hits (including five home runs) and 13 runs in 19 innings. He also has 25 strikeouts.

Boston and Tampa Bay will meet seven times in the next 10 days.

–Field Level Media

Rafaela Doubles Down on Nationals

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run double to help the host Red Sox defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2 Sunday in the finale of a three-game series. Rafaela’s double was part of a three-run second inning. Boston won for the second straight day despite striking out 11 times against three Washington pitchers. The Sox took the series 2-games-to-one.

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Boston’s Brayan Bello (4-1) was activated from the injured list and made his first start since April 19. He went on the IL with lat tightness five days after a win over Pittsburgh.

Bello gave up two runs on four hits in five innings. He walked two and recorded one strikeout.

Kenley Jansen allowed a hit in a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save. The game ended when Red Sox catcher Connor Wong threw out Jacob Young attempting to steal second base.

Eddie Rosario hit a two-run home run for the Nationals. It was his second home run in as many days and his fifth of the season. CJ Abrams had two of Washington’s five hits, but the Nationals had five runners erased on the base paths.

Washington starter MacKenzie Gore (2-4) threw 111 pitches in six innings. He surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits, struck out nine and walked two.

It was a rough day for Washington center fielder Victor Robles, who dropped a routine fly ball during Boston’s three-run second inning, and then ran into an out the following inning when he tried to take third when the base was occupied.

Rafaela hit a ground-rule double with the bases loaded that plated Garrett Cooper and Vaughn Grissom to make it 2-0 before Jarren Duran scored on Gore’s wild pitch to increase Boston’s lead to 3-0. Cooper collected two hits in the victory.

The Nationals trimmed their deficit to 3-2 in the fourth. Nick Senzel drew a two-out walk and scored on Rosario’s home run to right center.

–Field Level Media

Bello Returns for Rubber-Game vs DC

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BOSTON – Right-hand starting pitcher Brayan Bello will make his return from the 15-day injured list when the host Red Sox and Washington Nationals wrap up a three-game series this afternoon. Bello (3-1, 3.04 ERA) hasn’t pitched since April 19, when he picked up a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates after allowing just one hit across six shutout innings. He landed on the IL five days later because of lat tightness.

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Today will mark Bello’s first career appearance against the Nationals, who, like the Red Sox, will seek a series victory.

After Washington opened the series with a 5-1 victory on Friday night, Boston battled back for a 4-2 win on Saturday. Rafael Devers broke a 2-2 tie by hitting a two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning.

Devers doubled off of Robert Garcia after the Nationals elected to intentionally walk Tyler O’Neill with Romy Gonzalez on second base.

“I thought that was the right matchup,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “It’s a good battle up there. He fouled a couple of good, tough pitches off, and (Devers) just got the best of him (Saturday). But Garcia’s throwing the ball good. He’s our left-handed guy, so we decided to go that route.”

Devers said he couldn’t remember a time when a team intentionally walked a player to pitch to him.

“Those are baseball decisions,” Devers said through an interpreter. “Tyler is a right-handed batter. I’m lefty, so if I’m a manager someday, I might make the same decision.”

The outcome ended Boston’s three-game losing streak, and the Red Sox struggled immensely at the plate with runners in scoring position during the skid. Boston stranded 33 runners during those three setbacks, in which the team was 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position.

“Raffy against anybody — we’ll take that,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “As a manager you gotta kind of like pick your poison, right? They had the righty ready. They’re watching, too. At that point they made the decision to go against Raffy. (Garcia) had him with two strikes. He was one pitch away from getting out of the inning.

“You’re managing that inning, you’re managing the whole game, you’re managing the series, right. Probably the lefty won’t be there (Sunday). They got a lefty going. So there’s a lot of thought process, not only like it’s Raffy Devers. I bet if he has to do it again, he’ll do it again, because I know Dave. There’s a lot of conviction behind it. I understand the reasoning.”

Washington was held to four hits in Saturday’s loss, but two were solo home runs by Joey Meneses and Eddie Rosario.

The Nationals will send left-hander MacKenzie Gore (2-3, 3.44 ERA) to the mound on Sunday.

In his most recent outing, Gore was tagged for six runs (two earned) and six hits in three innings against the Toronto Blue Jays last Sunday. He did not factor into the decision.

Gore’s only career appearance against the Red Sox came last August, when he gave up one hit and no runs in 6 1/3 innings during Washington’s 6-2 victory. Gore struck out seven and walked two but settled for a no-decision.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Activate, Start Bello

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Prior to the 1:35pm game today, the Boston Red Sox reinstated right-hander Brayan Bello from the 15-day injured list to start the final game of the series against the visiting Washington Nationals.

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Fellow right-hander Josh Winckowski was optioned to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Bello, who last pitched for Boston on April 19. Bello landed on the injured list five days later because of lat tightness.

Sunday will mark Bello’s first career appearance against the Nationals, who, like the Red Sox, will seek a series victory.

Bello, who was Boston’s Opening Day starter, is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA in five starts this season.

Bello, who turns 25 on Friday, is 17-20 with a 4.22 ERA in 46 career appearances (44 starts) in three seasons with the Red Sox.

Winckowski, 25, is 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 12 appearances (three starts) this season.

He is 10-12 with a 4.12 ERA in 87 career games (18 starts) with Boston.

–Field Level Media

Devers Doubles Sox to Victory

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Rafael Devers hit a two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning to propel the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals on Saturday.

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Devers’ line-drive double hit the base of the wall in left field and broke a 2-2 tie by driving in Romy Gonzalez and Tyler O’Neill. Gonzalez reached on a fielder’s choice before O’Neill was walked intentionally. Devers had two of Boston’s six hits.

Wilyer Abreu hit his fourth home run of the season for Boston, which ended a three-game losing streak. The Red Sox were 2 for 29 with runners in scoring position during those three losses.

Chris Martin (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to earn the win. Kenley Jansen struck out two of three batters he faced in the ninth to record his sixth save.

Reliever Robert Garcia (0-2), who surrendered the double to Devers, took the loss.

Joey Meneses and Eddie Rosario each homered for Washington.

Boston starting pitcher Cooper Criswell went five innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked one and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts. It was a 2-2 game when he exited.

Washington’s Jake Irvin gave up two runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.

Meneses opened the scoring by leading off the second with a solo home run, his first home run of the season.

The Red Sox tied the game at 1 on Abreu’s home run in the third.

After Rosario homered on a ball that hit the Carlton Fisk pole in left field to give Washington a 2-1 lead in the fifth, Boston pulled even when Jarren Duran’s two-out double drove in David Hamilton to make it a 2-2 game in the bottom half of the inning. Rosario’s homer was his fourth of the season.

CJ Abrams had two of Washington’s four hits.

-Field Level Media