Boston takes first two of three game series.
After a grueling 15-inning defeat the night before, the Rays and Red Sox went at it again on Saturday night. RHP Alex Cobb took the hill for the Rays making his career-best 28th start of the season. Boston would counter with RHP Rick Porcello.
After sitting the Red Sox down in order in the first, Cobb didn’t fare as well an inning later. Mookie Betts would crush his 22nd home run of the season into the left field seats to lead off the inning. Mitch Moreland would follow with a double just off the diving glove of Steven Souza Jr in right centerfield. Boston would strand Moreland, however, and settle for an early 1-0 lead.
Balks, ejections, and Mookie.
We’ll take you all the way to the sixth inning with the score still 1-0. After a balk call on Cobb and a steal of third base, Andrew Benintendi was driven home by Betts to make it a 2-0 ballgame. The previous pitch should have struck out Betts but it was called a ball. After the RBI single, a very animated and disappointed Cobb walked to the plate to speak with the umpire Jeff Nelson – who promptly ejected Logan Morrison who was barking from the dugout. It was the first time in Morrison’s career he’d been ejected.
LHP Dan Jennings would take over for Cobb. With two away he would give up an RBI double to Rafael Devers pushing the Boston lead to 3-0.
Newly activated from the DL, RHP Jake Faria would take over in the seventh. In his first relief appearance at the MLB level, Faria was pefect in three innings of work.
Hech keeps it hot!
Adeiny Hechavarria led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to center. Two hitters later, Mallex Smith walked on a ball in the dirt that got by catcher Christian Vazquez advancing Hechavarria to third. Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to first on the next at bat. However, Moreland’s throw to second hits Mallex in the back, scoring the run from third on the error. The Rays would crack the scoreboard, 3-1.
Boston closer, Craig Kimbrel, would sit the Rays down in order in the bottom of the ninth. The Red Sox would take the first two of the three-game series.
NOTABLES:
- Rays have dropped seven of their last nine to go five games under .500 matching a season-low.
- Cobb was looking to become first Rays pitcher ever with four wins in a season over Red Sox.
Next up:
Sunday afternoon wraps up the three-game series. The Rays will send RHP Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 4.52) to the mound to face LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-5, 4.19). First pitch is set for 1:10 from Tropicana Field.
