When Rafael Devers stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded, it felt like now or by no means. The recreation was nonetheless scoreless within the high of the eighth and the Red Sox hadn’t come near threatening the Tampa Bay Rays all recreation.
This was their probability, and when Devers struck out to finish the risk it felt like solely a matter of time earlier than the Rays made them pay.
It didn’t take lengthy.
Brandon Lowe’s solo dwelling run off Chris Martin within the backside of the eighth was the distinction because the Tampa Bay Rays dropped the Red Sox 1-0 to remain unbeaten on the season. Boston managed solely three hits on the night time in a recreation that took simply 2:06 to finish.
“Overall it was a good baseball game,” Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora mentioned. “They pitched well, we pitched well, it was good defense, obviously we didn’t win the game, but as far as the game, it was great.”
Coming within the Rays (10-0) had walloped their opponents, averaging 8.3 runs by their first 9 video games, however up till the eighth inning the Red Sox (5-5) pitching employees did a superb job retaining them in examine.
Nick Pivetta was terrific as soon as once more, throwing 5 scoreless innings with three hits, two walks and 6 strikeouts. His fastball velocity was additionally up, averaging 95 mph on the day, and he additionally drew 14 whiffs, together with on all 4 of cutters Rays batters swung at. He now has an 0.90 ERA on the season by two begins.
Pivetta did face bother within the backside of the third, at one level permitting two males on with one out, however Rob Refsnyder bailed him out by making an unimaginable sliding catch in deep middle discipline. Then he popped up and bought the throw again in rapidly sufficient to maintain the runners from advancing.
Josh Winckowski adopted him with two scoreless innings of reduction, bringing him to a 1.00 ERA by his first 5 appearances, and Martin drew a come out earlier than Lowe received a 10-pitch battle culminating with a 404-foot bomb to proper on a 3-2 fastball down the center.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay pitching employees appeared nearly as good as marketed. Former Red Sox arm Jalen Beeks bought the Rays off on the best foot, throwing two shutout innings because the opener, after which Josh Fleming posted 4 scoreless with 5 strikeouts out of the pen.
Garrett Cleavinger, Colin Poche and Pete Fairbanks mixed to finish the shutout, although not earlier than Poche needed to work his manner out of an enormous eighth inning jam.
After Alex Verdugo drew a leadoff stroll, Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Triston Casas and singled to place two males on with one out. Connor Wong instantly flew out to left, however Kiké Hernández, who got here into the plate look 0 for his final 22, drew a stroll to load the bases for Devers.
Devers whiffed on an enormous lower the primary pitch, fouled off a pair after which struck out wanting on a well-placed fastball above his knees. He completed 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, all wanting.
Outside of the eighth the Red Sox offense appeared all out of types. The membership went down on 10-13 pitches in seven out of 9 innings, which Cora mentioned was a product of them increasing the zone.
“We expanded with them, and that’s what they do, they’ve got good stuff, we have to give them credit,” Cora mentioned. “They made some pitches, especially Fleming, he was around the corners, pitching to the edges, we expanded with him and I don’t think we did much against him. Just credit to them, we’ve got to get better for tomorrow.”
The night time did deliver one piece of fine information, nevertheless, as Cora confirmed outfielder Adam Duvall is not going to want surgical procedure on his fractured left wrist.
Boston will look to get again on monitor Tuesday as Garrett Whitlock makes his common season debut. He’ll face Rays ace Shane McClanahan (2-0, 1.50 ERA) at 6:40 p.m.
Sox to mark 10-year anniversary of 2013 marathon
With the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon approaching, the Red Sox have introduced plans to commemorate the tragic occasion with a weekend of particular occasions and pregame ceremonies in the course of the membership’s collection towards the Los Angeles Angels.
Friday the membership will distribute greater than 40,000 blue and yellow Red Sox City Connect hats to Boston Public School college students and employees. Saturday will characteristic a pregame ceremony commemorating One Boston Day and the 76th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the colour barrier. Sunday the 2013 World Series championship crew will probably be acknowledged pregame and Zac Brown Band will carry out the National Anthem, and Monday David Ortiz will function Grand Marshal for the Boston Marathon, main runners from Hopkinton to Boston.
The Red Sox can even put on their yellow City Connect uniforms on Friday and Sunday, their dwelling whites with the No. 42 on Saturday in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day, and they’ll put on their “Boston” dwelling whites on Monday, as they did on the primary dwelling recreation after the bombings and each Marathon Monday since.
Source: www.bostonherald.com