All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 6-5 loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Price regression continues: For the first three months of the season, David Price was the team's most consistent starting pitcher. But in the last nine starts, Price has pitched to a 5.48 ERA and in his last three, specifically, he's allowed 13 runs in 14.1 innings. "It's been a grind over my last five or six (outings),'' said Price. "Outs are tough to get. It's been tough just throwing strikes. ... I have some stuff to address these next four days before I pitch in New York, but I think it's going to get better.'' It had better. After a string of six straight starts with at least six innings from their starters, the Sox haven't been able to get their starters to match that length in the last three games, and nor surprisingly have dropped two of those three.
In the sixth, it all fell apart for bullpen: The Red Sox got some encouraging work from Darwinzon Hernandez (one inning, two strikeouts), Matt Barnes (scoreless inning with a walk and strikeout) and Nathan Eovaldi (one hit, one walk, three strikeouts). But in the sixth, using some of their lower-leverage relievers, they allowed two big runs that spelled the difference in the game. That inning alone could serve as the impetus for Dave Dombrowski to make a trade to upgrade the bullpen, since it involved three relievers -- Marcus Walden, Josh Taylor and Colten Brewer -- who could be bumped by an acquisition or two by Wednesday's trade deadline. That inning alone illustrated that the Sox' bullpen depth needs bolstering.
Benintendi hot streak in progress: The outfielder set a career-best when he homered in his third straight game -- a two-run shot in the fifth. In the last three games, he's 9-for-13 with three homers and two doubles and has knocked in eight runs in that span. Going back slightly more than a week, since the time Benintendi decided to revert back to his old college swing and get rid of a leg kick as part of his set-up, he's batting .514 and slugging .971 with 10 runs and 12 RBI in a stretch of eight games. That serves to lengthen the Red Sox batting order some, beyond the Big Four that have carried the offense for the better part of the last month. Tellingly, his homer Tuesday night came off a lefty (reliever Adam Kolarek), as Benintendi has been far more successful against them in recent weeks.
TURNING POINT
The Red Sox had just taken a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Marcus Walden got two quick outs, then issued a walk. Lefty Josh Taylor came in for lefty Austin Meadows and gave up a single and Colten Brewer was stung for a Wall double by Avisail Garcia and what had been a one-run lead quickly turned into a one-run deficit.
TWO UP
Sam Travis: Travis has been impressive since his callup. He stroked a Wall double pinch-hitting for Mitch Moreland in the eighth, then singled to keep the rally going in the ninth.
Rafael Devers: For the fifth straight game, Devers collected at least one double and also managed to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
ONE DOWN
Jackie Bradley Jr.: Bradley registered an 0-for-4 night from the bottom of the order.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That can't happen. For us to take it to the next level, we've got to put guys away. That was a big shutdown inning for us. ... It's tough.'' Alex Cora on the Rays scoring twice in the sixth.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- With the homer from Benintendi, the Red Sox extended their home run streak to 15 games, their longest at Fenway since 1969, when they homered in 17 consecutive home games.
- Mookie Betts has reached base safely in 45 of his last 48 games and leads the majors with 98 runs scored.
- Christian Vazquez recorded his fourth pickoff the season in the first inning, the most for any catcher.
- Hernandez has struck out 24 hitters in 11.1 innings.