Sunday the Rays went up against the Red Sox for the series finale of a four-game set. Heading into the All-Star break above .500 for just the second time under Kevin Cash.
Before representing the Rays in the All-Star game on Tuesday, Chris Archer and Corey Dickerson had to complete the series against Boston. Taking 2-of-3 so far, the Rays guaranteed at least a split. Meaning that for the eighth time in 10 years they enter the break with a .500 record.
Price Wins The Battle
Archer got off to a rough start Sunday. On just the third pitch of the game, Mookie Betts hit his 16th home run of the year into the left field seats. The homer gave Betts the franchise record for lead-off homers with 11, passing former Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Archer escaped the inning without any more damage, but amassed 24 pitches in just the first.
After the first, Archer held his ground against the division leading Red Sox for the following five innings. But in the seventh, with two outs, a man on, and a full count, Dustin Pedroia hit his second two-run homer of the series. The homer put Boston in the lead for the second time in the game.
Price would win the battle today, giving up just two runs on five hits, allowing just two walks and striking out five of his former teammates through 6.0 innings. Archer left the game after going 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits, but did manage to strike out eight Boston hitters.
Longoria, Miller Lead Rays To Victory
The Rays answered in the bottom of the first, after Steven Souza Jr. missed a home run by inches, Evan Longoria brought him across with an RBI single to tie things up early. The Longoria-Souza connection happened again in the third, as Longoria picked up a sacrifice RBI that gave Tampa Bay the lead.
Along with scoring two runs, Souza was showing off in right field too, making what could be the catch of the year so far…
Laying out in this part of the field takes a special kind of courage.@SouzaJr has plenty. pic.twitter.com/jw8p1XD7Wz
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 9, 2017
Dickerson showed why he is an All-Star, catching Jackie Bradley Jr‘s hit at the wall in deep left, and getting it in to Logan Morrison at first to tag Hanley Ramirez for the double play. After falling to a 3-2 deficit, Dickerson added to his All-Star cred by hitting a sacrifice fly that drove in Mallex Smith to tie it up in the seventh.
Fresh off the disabled list at the beginning of the series, Brad Miller stepped up big time. In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and a man on first, Miller took a pitch from Joe Kelly over the centerfield wall to put Tampa Bay up 5-3.
Reeling ’em in.#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/KEI3JTWRXN
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 9, 2017
With a two-run lead, Alex Colome came in and collected his 25th save. This came after yet another scoreless outing by Brad Boxberger that earned him his first win of the season. I asked Kevin Cash about Boxberger’s performance since returning from the disabled list…
I asked Cash about Boxberger’s performance since his return… pic.twitter.com/By1q3WF3JX
— The Scrum Sports (@TheScrumSports) July 9, 2017
Cash was very happy about his team’s performance this weekend…
Kevin Cash on today’s HUGE win against Boston #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/YKTFCJDvRI
— The Scrum Sports (@TheScrumSports) July 9, 2017
With the win, Tampa Bay moves one game closer to the top of the American League East. Not to mention, they just took 3-of-4 from the division leader Boston. Rays are now 6-5 against the Red Sox this season.
Coming Up
The Rays get much-needed rest in the form of the All-Star Break. On Thursday they will have practice before hitting the sky west bound. Starting Friday, Tampa Bay takes on the Angels for three, before immediately going to Oakland for three with the A’s.
They return to Tropicana Field on July 21st and welcome the Texas Rangers for a three-game series.
