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Tampa Rays

Boston’s Big Ninth After Error

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TAMPA – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Trevor Story knocked in the go-ahead run in the club’s three-run ninth inning as the Red Sox crafted their eighth straight win over Tampa Bay, doubling the host Rays 6-3 on Saturday night.

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Tied three-all, Story put Boston ahead by singling in Ceddanne Rafaela, who reached on Junior Caminero’s second fielding error, for a 4-3 lead off reliever Jesse Scholtens (0-1).

Masataka Yoshida (single) and Romy Gonzalez (sacrifice fly) drove in runs for the three-run lead as the Red Sox (85-70) moved to 10-2 against the Rays (75-80).

Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with a run, RBI and stolen base plus a walk and a hit by pitch. Alex Bregman had two hits, and Rafaela scored twice.

Garrett Whitlock (7-3) was credited with the win. Aroldis Chapman notched his 31st save.

In his first start with the Red Sox, Kyle Harrison gave up one run on four hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Tampa Bay’s Jake Mangum was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Yandy Diaz was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Starter Adrian Houser yielded three runs on five hits in six innings. The right-hander had two strikeouts, three walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches.

The visitors used their speed to go up 1-0 in the third after Jarren Duran’s one-out single. The speedster stole his 24th base then scored when Houser spiked two wild pitches into the dirt and to the backstop.

In the fourth, Mangum doubled to left to score Brandon Lowe, who earlier had singled, to even it, but Bregman made it 2-1 by lining a single to center to send home Rafaela.

Boston took a 3-1 lead in the sixth by manufacturing a run without a hit after leadoff batter Gonzalez was hit by a Houser pitch. He promptly stole second, was bunted to third by Nate Eaton and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nathaniel Lowe.

In the seventh with Harrison out, the Rays tied it off relievers Justin Wilson and Justin Slaten on Nick Fortes’ RBI double and Diaz’s run-scoring single.

–Field Level Media

MLB: Red Sox in the Win Column

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Red Sox Offense Emerged in 11-2 Win Over Tampa

BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox snapped a three-game, season opening losing streak with an 11-2 victory over the visiting Tampa Rays at Fenway Park. Eight of the Boston nine batters recorded at least a hit and six Sox recorded multiple hits which hadn’t happened since August, 2019.

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Boston starting pitcher Nick Pivetta pitched 5.0 innings of scoreless baseball, his ninth career scoreless start. He allowed only two hits and struck-out four. Dating back to last season, Pivetta is now 3-0 with the Red Sox with a 1.20 ERA.

Rays starter Michael Wacha recorded four of his first six outs with strike-outs, including striking out the side to open the 1st inning but then the Red Sox offense came alive in numerous ways:

  • J.D. Martinez recorded his third straight multi-hit game and went 2-for-3, with two walks, a home run and three RBI.
  • Alex Verdugo went 2-for-4 with a 2B and sacrifice fly for two RBI.
  • Xander Bogaerts matched his career-high for hits in a game by going 4-for-5 with a 2B and an RBI.
  • Newcomer Frenchy Cordero gave the Sox a 1-0 lead with his 2B in the 2nd inning and went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
  • Hunter Renfroe hit a sacrifice fly to give Boston a 2-0 lead in the 4th inning, to add to his 2-for-3 performance.
  • Catcher Christian Vazquez led off the 2nd and 4th inning with singles and scored each time in his 2-for-4 outing.
  • Utility man Marwin Gonzalez proved his versatility as he became the first major leaguer since 1900 to start his team’s first four games at four different positions (LF, 2B, 3B and 1B). He went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored twice.

The Red Sox and Rays square-off again tonight at 7:10pm (EDT). Tyler Glasnow will be pitching for the Rays while Martin Perez starts for Boston.