Drew Pomeranz became the Red Sox’ second 15-game winner this season and the club extended its winning streak to three straight with a convincing 9-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pomeranz didn’t allow a hit until one out in the fifth inning when he yielded a single to Brad Miller. Three pitches later, Pomeranz allowed a two-run homer to Jesus Sucre to spoil his shutout bid, too. But those were the only runs against Pomeranz in six strong innings as he improved to 15-5.
Mookie Betts supplied an early cushion when he slapped a three-run homer inside the right field foul pole in the first inning. It was his first home run in more than a month and the first time in his career that Betts had homered to right field at Fenway.
The Sox chased Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer in the fourth as the first seven hitters reached base and five different hitters produced run-scoring hits. Every member of the starting lineup except Xander Bogaerts collected at least one hit.
Tampa added a run in the seventh off Joe Kelly to close out the scoring.
GAME NO.: 140
WHO: Red Sox (79-61) vs Tampa Bay Rays (70-71)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
TV: NESN
RADIO: WEEI (93.7 FM)
PITCHERS: Drew Pomeranz (14-5, 3.36) vs. Chris Archer (9-8, 3.76)
BOX SCORE: MLB Gameday
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- The three-run homer hit by Mookie Betts in the first inning -- just inside the right field foul pole -- was the 73rd of his career, and yet only the third homer that Betts has hit to the right of second base. And the very first homer to right in Fenway in his career. That seems almost impossible. No matter how much a hitter tends to pull the ball, you'd think that someone with the quick hands of Betts would hit an opposite field homer at home by accident, if nothing else.
- Ugly injury to Tampa Bay outfielder Steven Souza Jr., who crashed into the low wall in right field trying to glove a ball hit by Christian Vazquez. (He failed and Vazquez had a single). Souza had to be helped off the field and seemed unable to put much weight on his left leg.
- Another oddity tonight: Betts made two catches in foul territory in right. There's so little room down the line - a foot, tops -- that you could go months without seeing an outfield record an out in foul territory, and yet, there were two in consecutive innings tonight.
- The Red Sox seem to be taking the training wheels off of Joe Kelly. The team has been careful when it comes to the reliever's usage, but he was called upon tonight for the third time in the last four games.
- Eduardo Nunez is out of Friday's lineup after experiencing mid-back spasms Wednesday night. Nunez got treatment Thursday and again Friday afternoon and reported improvement. John Farrell said Nunez is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday.
- David Price has a big test Saturday when he throws two innings in a simulated game at Fenway. Price is expected to throw 15-18 pitches per inning.
- jetBlue Park in Fort Myers, the Red Sox spring training home, is closed because of approaching Hurricane Irma. The area around the ballpark will serve as a headquarters/staging area for first responders. There are no players currently in the area, since the team's Gulf Coast League affiliate's season ended a week ago and Instructional League doesn't get underway until later this month.
- With the storm expected to hit the Tampa area Sunday or Monday, the Rays' series with the Yankees there has been shifted to Citi Field in New York. The Red Sox are due to follow the Yanks into St. Petersburg, but for now, according to a source, there have been no discussions about shifting the Red Sox-Rays series set to begin at Tropicana Field on Sept. 15.