All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 2-0 loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Beeks gets some revenge: The Red Sox dealt away Jalen Beeks to the Rays in exchange for starter Nathan Eovaldi. It's a deal that the Sox haven't regretted, since Eovaldi has pitched well in three of his four starts since joining the Sox. But Beeks got some payback by tossing four scoreless innings against his former team, earning him the victory. Beeks entered the game in the second inning after Tampa Bay "opener'' Diego Castillo recorded the first five outs. Beeks fanned Brock Holt to strand Xander Bogaerts on third, retired the Sox in order in the third, battled out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the fourth and faced the minimum in the fifth before giving way to the first of three relievers to follow him. "He was throwing harder,'' noted Alex Cora. "I saw 94 mph -- I didn't see that (when he was) here. Besides that, same: cutter, fastball, breaking ball. (He had) a better mix with the breaking ball. He did a good job.'' Beeks has done a good job for the Rays if you discount his first outing in which he allowed eight runs; since then, he's 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA.
Offense shuttered: The Sox came in having scored five or more runs in nine of their last 12 games, but couldn't muster much against the parade of Tampa Bay pitchers. In fact, they managed just two hits -- a double in the second and a single in the fourth -- and none after the fourth inning. They hit a few balls hard, but too often, those were right at perfectly-positioned defenders for the Rays. The only baserunner the Sox had from the fifth inning on was the result of an error by shortstop Joey Wendle. A number of Red Sox players played down any suggestion that the Sox had difficulty adapting to the Rays' unique pitching approach of starting an "opener'' for the first inning or so, then going to a host of relievers. For the most part, this means you're only getting one at-bat against each pitcher, but the Sox insisted that wasn't the reason for their struggles at the plate. "I wouldn't say so,'' said Mookie Betts. "The way they run the staff has been working. They're playing good ball. They've got a cool system.''
Bullpen sparkles: After starter Hector Velazquez gave the Sox four innings and allowed just one run, the Red Sox trotted out four relievers, who combined to toss five innings and allowed just one run. Brandon Workman turned in one of his best outings of the season, retiring all six hitters he faced over two frames. Joe Kelly and Heath Hembree each threw a scoreless inning before Matt Barnes allowed a solo homer in the ninth. Overall, the Rays were 1-for-15 against the Sox bullpen with five strikeouts and two walks. "We're in good shape,'' said Cora of his relievers, who had been a bit overworked not long ago thanks to a doubleheader last weekend and some shorter outings from starters. "We were able to re-set with the two days off (before and after the series in Philadelphia).''
TURNING POINT
Given that the Red Sox had so few chances offensively in the game, you'd have to point to the fourth inning -- the only inning in which they had multiple baserunners all afternoon. After a leadoff single from Andrew Benintendi and a walk to Steve Pearce, the Sox had runners at first and second and one out, but a double-play by J.D. Martinez and a lineout by Eduardo Nunez squelched any chance of doing damage.
TWO UP
Brandon Workman: The first of four relievers out of the bullpen for the Red Sox, Workman retired all six hitters he faced over two innings and required just 13 pitches to get through two innings.
Xander Bogaerts: Bogaerts has lit up Tampa Bay this season, hitting .396 with 12 doubles. He doubled in his first at-bat, then drew a walk in his second before the Rays finally retired him in the seventh.
ONE DOWN
J.D. Martinez: Martinez saw his consecutive games on base at Fenway finally stopped at 51 games in an atypical day for him at the plate with an infield popup, GIDP and strikeout.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"One of those days.''
— Alex Cora on the loss.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Even with the loss, the Red Sox won the series and haven't lost one in the last 13 (10-0-3), their longest such streak since 1972.
- Boston pitching has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of their last eight games.
- One-third of the doubles hit by Xander Bogaerts this season have come against Tampa Bay.
- The shutout loss was just the fifth of the season for the Sox.