The Red Sox' homestand opened with a thud Friday, as the team was limited to just three hits in a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Yonny Chirinos retired the first 15 hitters he faced before the Sox broke through with a walk from Brock Holt and a single by Jackie Bradley Jr. in the sixth.
Rick Porcello lasted six innings and allowed four runs. He was tagged for a solo homer by Ji-Man Choi and, later, two run-scoring singles by Kevin Kiermaier.
The Sox averted a shutout in the ninth on doubles by Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts against reliever Emilio Pagan.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: BOS 3-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (4-5, 4.76) vs. RHP Yonny Chirinos (6-2, 3.25)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:02 Christian Vazquez throws out Austin Meadows attempting to steal second. Vazquez has gotten 10 of the last 17 baserunners.
8:57 Moreland, who just come off the IL earlier today, removed after six innings due to right quad tightness.
8:53 Big fizzle as the Red Sox load the bases but Benintendi takes a called third strike and Devers swings through a splitter.
8:41 And two pitches later, Jackie Bradley Jr. produces the first Boston hit, directing a single through the vacated spot at shortstop. Sox have two on, no out.
8:39 Brock Holt draws a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the sixth, giving the Red Sox their first baserunner of the night.
8:31 Kiermaier strikes again, slapping the first pitch to left, scoring Garcia and upping the Tampa lead to 4-0.
8:24 Chirinos is simply mowing down the Red S0x -- has retired all 15 hitters he's faced, using just 50 pitches in the process.
8:00 After allowing two singles and throwing a wild pitch to give the Rays runners at second and third with no out, Porcello got two outs and then ran the count full to Kevin Kiermaier. He was a strike away from getting out of the mess, but then allowed a sharp single to right on a 3-and-2 slider, scoring two.
7:47 It's nine up and nine down against Yonny Chirinos, with only one ball -- Andrew Benintendi's lineout to RF in the first -- really squared up.
7:34 Rays deployed four outfielders against Mitch Moreland, dropping third baseman Yandy Diaz back to left field. Moreland ended up grounding out to second. Or, more accurately, shallow right.
7:27 Solo homer from Ji-Man Choi, who turns on a changeup on the outer half and belts it into the Red Sox bullpen. Rick Porcello has allowed homers in six of his last seven outings, though in five of those, he's limited it to just one.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Moreland 1B
Nunez DH
Holt 2B
Bradley CF
Leon C
RAYS
Meadows LF
Pham DH
B. Lowe 2B
Garcia RF
Choi 1B
Diaz 3B
Kiermaier CF
Adames SS
Zunino C
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox begin an eight-game homestand with a four-game winning streak at their backs...The Sox will play 14 of their next 20 at home...The Sox have scored at least seven runs in each of their last four games and have at least one homer in each of the last seven contests, their longest such streak since last August, when they homered in 12 in a row....The Sox are 0-2 at home against Tampa Bay this season, but 3-0 in St. Pete....Eleven of the last 25 games between the Sox and Rays have been decided by a single run, including three of the last four...Rafael Devers has driven in at least one run in each of his last four games, for a total of eight RBI....Over his last 16 games, Jackie Bradley Jr. has hit .294 with 10 extra-base hits and 10 RBI with an OPS of 1.057...Since returning from the IL, Brock Holt has hit safely in each of his seven games, going 11-for-25 (.440) with five RBI and seven runs scored...He's driven in a run in each of the last three...Eduardo Nunez has hit safely in his last six starts and over his last nine games overall, is hitting .462 (12-for-26) with six RBI....Xander Bogaerts leads the Sox in doubles (18), RBI (40), runs scored (50)...Bogaerts and Mike Trout of the Angels are the only AL players with at least 30 extra-base hits, 40 RBI and 40 runs scored...Andrew Benintendi carries a five-game hitting streak into Friday night and has multiple hits in three of his last seven games....Sandy Leon has six RBI in his last four games....Over the last seven games, Brock Holt is 5-for-10 with RISP....Even after missing the last week and a half on the IL with lower back issues, Mitch Moreland remains the Red Sox home run leader with 13...The Sox are 7-2 in Rick Porcello's last nine starts, during which Porcello has pitched to a 3.49 ERA...He's also thrown at least six innings in seven of his last eight starts...Since the start of 2016, the Sox are 38-18 (.679) in games started by Porcello at Fenway....He's 4-1 with a 3.15 ERA in his last five home starts...Avisail Garcia is a .375 career hitter (9-for-24) against Porcello with two homers...Tommy Pham is just 2-for-12 with four strikeouts against Porcello....Bogaerts is 3-for-8 lifetime against Yonny Chirinos, and Benintendi (.429) is 3-for-7.
PRE-GAME NOTES
- The Red Sox reinstated first baseman Mitch Moreland (back) from the IL and optioned RHP Ryan Weber to Pawtucket.
- RHP Nathan Eovaldi, who was thought to be close to beginning a rehab assignment, has decided he needs another bullpen with the team to work on his mechanics. That will take place either Saturday or Sunday. "He doesn't feel great mechanic-wise,'' said Cora. "We'll wait and clean that up and then we'll decide what we're going to do (with a rehab assignment). We don't rush him if he doesn't feel right. Obviously, this is a guy who's very important to us. To throw him out there when he's not sound doesn't make sense -- for him or for us.''
- Cora said Steve Pearce continues to get treatment for his back, but isn't ready to begin baseball activities.
- J.D. Martinez was out of the lineup with back spasms. He came out of Thursday's game. "He's day-to-day,'' said Cora. "Hopefully, he feels better tomorrow.''
- RHP Josh Smith was in the clubhouse. The Sox can add a 26th player for the second game of their day-night doubleheader and Cora described Smith as "an option" to start the night game. "There are a few options. We'll see how the game goes tonight and we'll decided what to do.''
- RHP Tyler Thornburg (hip) threw 30 pitches to Sam Travis and Michael Chavis in a mound session. He's close to going on a rehab assignment.