Rays Win 5th Straight
W: Snell (1-0, 2.08 ERA) L: Zack Godley (0-2, 8.16 ERA)
Tampa, Fla – The Tampa Bay hit four homers and Blake Snell delivered five shutout innings as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 9-5 on the year.
The Rays have now won five straight games to improve to 11-8 on the year. The five game win streak is currently the longest in the majors right now and it’s the teams longest win streak since winning six straight from September 3 through 10, 2019.
Zack Godley takes the loss for the Red Sox who fall to 6-12 on the year. Godley allowed eight earned runs in three innings allowing 10 hits while striking out three and walking two.
Remarkably, the Rays have now won 12 of their last 13 games at Fenway Park and have outscored them 78-40. The Rays have won seven straight at Fenway Park becoming the first team to do so since the Baltimore Orioles from September 20, 2011 through June 6, 2012. The seven straight wins in Fenway is the longest win streak at an opponents park in franchise history.
With Yonny Chirinos and Charlie Morton currently on the injury list, it’s imperative that the Rays get the remaining starters built up. The goal for Blake Snell was to get 75 pitches or 5 innings under his belt. He labored in his previous three outings going two innings (46 pitches), three innings (53 pitches), and three innings (59 pitches).
Snell delivered what the team had hoped for giving them five scoreless innings allowing four hits while striking out six and walking none. He made 70 pitches with 48 for strikes including 13 swing and misses.
Snell was relieved to have built up to five innings. “For me to go five, it just shows more of a consistency, but still there’s a lot I need to do to become better.” Snell said. “I’m definitely happy with how I attacked this lineup but still I do think there’s a lot more I need to do to be a better pitcher.”
Kevin Cash was happy with Snell’s performance noting that “it was another step in the right direction” and that “Blake’s got to feel good with this one as he got through the fifth.”
The Rays bats gave Snell and early lead and continued to add on with runs in each of the four frames.
The offense has scored five or more runs in three straight games and four of their last five. With the injuries to the Rays pitching staff and reliance of the bullpen it’s important that they have cushion, something the Rays’ hitters are well aware of.
“I think these guys are very aware of where we’re at, how taxed we are in the bullpen.” Kevin Cash said. “They want to play there role in this also and do what they can to give some breathing room.”
The Rays loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning and came away with one run when Joey Wendle‘s grounder to first baseman Michael Chavis stuck in the webbing of the glove prohibiting him from getting the force out at home.
Willy Adames hit his first home run of the year in the second inning, Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a 2-run homer in the third inning, and Yandy Diaz delivered an RBI single in the fourth pushing the Rays lead to 8-0.
Brandon Lowe finished a triple shy of the cycle going 3-for-5 with three RBI, and three runs scored. Lowe has been on fire to open the season and is now batting .302/.371/.651. With his two extra-base hits he now has 12 extra-base hits out of his 19 hits on the year.
Yandy Diaz and Kevin Kiermaier joined Lowe with three hits. Diaz extends his career high on-base streak to 18 games. Kiermaier has gone 5-for-8 in the series raising his batting average from .171 to .245.
Aaron Slegers took over for Snell and worked a scoreless sixth and seventh inning before running into trouble in the eighth. The first six hitters reached base safely to open the eighth inning including a RBI single by Jonathan Arauz and a J.D. Martinez grand slam to cut the deficit to 8-5.
Nick Anderson entered the game and struck out Christian Vazquez and Michael Chavis before giving up a single to Alex Verdugo which brought Jackie Bradley Jr. to the plate representing the tying run. Bradley Jr. grounded out to short to end the inning.
Austin Meadows gave the Rays one of the runs back by leading off the 9th inning with a solo homer to extend the lead 9-5. The homer was Meadows’ first of the year and he finished the night 2-for-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, and a walk.
Peter Fairbanks worked a clean ninth inning striking out a batter.
The Rays will look for the four game sweep tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m. Tyler Glasnow (0-1, 5.56 ERA) will start for Tampa Bay. The Red Sox counter with Kyle Hart who is making his big league debut.
