Red Sox End Rays Win Streak Ends At Eight
The Tampa Bay Rays had their eight game win streak end falling to the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in the finale of their three game set.
Alex Colome (2-3, 6.00 ERA) took the loss for the Rays who fall to 12-14 on the season.
Craig Kimbrel (1-1, 0.77 ERA) picks up the win for the Red Sox who improve to 20-7. The 20-7 mark is the 2nd-best 27-game start in Red Sox franchise history (23-4 in 1946). They also started 20-7 in 1994 and 2002. The Sox are just the fifth team since 1913 to win 20+ games before May. They join the Seattle Mariners in 2001, New York Yankees in 2003, Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, and the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014.
The Rays jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Denard Span 2-run homer in the 3rd and a Mallex Smith RBI single in the fourth.
Span’s homer was his second in as many days. It’s his sixth career streak with homer in back-to-back games, and first since 2017 while with the San Francisco Giants. He leads the club with 21 RBI and is the 8th Ray with 21+ RBI through the club’s first 26 games of a season (last: Ben Zobrist, 25 in 2011).
The Red Sox countered with three runs in their half of the sixth inning to draw even. Sandy Leon delivered a 2-out RBI against Alex Colome in the eighth to put the Sox up 4-3.
The Rays put the first two runners on in the ninth and moved them into scoring position on an Adeiny Hechavarria sacrifice bunt. Craig Kimbrel was up to the task striking out Jesus Sucre and pinch-hitter Carlos Gomez to end the game.
Andriese’s Impressive Start:
Matt Andriese, making his first start of the season, worked 3.1-innings allowing no runs on 2-hits while striking out three and walking none. He threw 57 pitches with 35 for strikes. “My whole plan was to go out there and pitch as long and and as quality as I possibly can.”
Venters Second Outing A Success:
Jonny Venters worked in his second game for the Rays, retiring all three Red Sox lefties he faced. He’s retired all four batters he’s faced in his two outings. It’s still the best feel good stories in baseball this season. (More Here)
Up Next For Rays:
The Rays head to Detroit to take on the Tigers for three. Jake Faria (1-1, 6.33 ERA) will take the mound Monday night for the Rays. Detroit counters with Jordan Zimmerman (1-0, 7.91 ERA).
