WHO: Red Sox (3-8) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (5-6)
WHEN: 6:40 p.m.
WHERE: Tropicana Field
SERIES TO DATE: Tampa Bay 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Martin Perez (1-1, 5.06) vs. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (0-1, 1,54)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Pillar CF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Vazquez C
Chavis 1B
Verdugo RF
Peraza LF
Arauz 2B
RAYS
Diaz 3B
Meadows DH
Martinez 1B
Renfroe RF
Brousseau LF
Lowe 2B
Admes SS
Zunino C
Kiermaier CF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
8:44 That should be a fine for Colten Brewer, who just issued a leadoff walk after inheriting a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
8:31 Michael Chavis, who had two singles in his first two trips, makes much harder contact this time on a changeup left out over the heart of the plate, and the Red Sox are, suddenly, cruising.
8:26 Sox manage to add on with a leadoff double from Bogaerts and a rocket single to left by Christian Vazquez, which almost knocked over Tampa Bay third baseman Yandy Diaz.
8:21 Perez is probably done at 91 pitches. It wasn't masterful, but he pitched out of trouble when he had to and didn't allow a hit in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.
8:03 Perez walks a tighrope in the fourth, wiggling out of a first-and-second, no-out jam to strand two and preserve the 2-0 lead.
7:47 First everything for Alex Verdugo -- first extra-base hit, first RBI, first homer. Verdugo turns on a breaking ball on the inside half and clubs it to right, scoring Michael Chavis ahead of him.
7:28 Jonathan Arauz continues to impress. Nicely turned, as he gives the backhand flip throw to Xander Bogaerts to start a 4-6-3 double play.
7:23 For all the criticism of umpire Joe West, who too often makes things all about himself, he's generally regarded as a good balls-and-strikes umpire. But I've counted a half-dozen pitches he's missed through the first two innings -- failing to give pitchers some strikes low in the zone, while calling some pitches off the plate as strikes.
7:15 Other than the double by Martinez in the first inning, the Red Sox haven't hit a ball hard through the first two innings.
6:55 Martin Perez has shown an uptick in his fastball velocity, getting it up to 94 mph at times.
6:45 J.D. Martinez crushes an 0-2 pitch over the head of the left fielder for another double -- his third in two nights and eight of the season. He leads the league in that category.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Ron Roenicke sat two of his struggling lefthanded-hitting outfielders. Jackie Bradley Jr. (1-for-21) and LF Andrew Benintendi (2-for-29) were both out of the lineup against a lefty. "We've got the righthanders in there as much as we can today,'' said Roenicke.
- Roenicke was asked if he saw Benintendi's at-bats resulting in some frustration. "They have,'' confirmed Roenicke. "But they always do, though. He's a guy that wants to work and get it right and he's a perfectionist. So when he doesn't like something, he's working extra, which he's been doing the last week (with the hitting coaches). They like what he's doing. They like his progress. They think he's close; I think he's close. I think he's been taking good swings. I think he's seeing the ball better. He does continue to walk and get on base for us and if he does that and then starts hitting, he's going to be a really important part, leading off for the team.''
- Although the Sox haven't officially listed starting pitchers for the weekend series at Fenway with Toronto, Roenicke confirmed that Ryan Weber will start Friday and Zach Godley Saturday. For Sunday, Roenicke will piece it together with an opener.
- Third base coach Carlos Febles got a negative test result for COVID-19 Wednesday, two days after receiving an inconclusive test result in New York. That forced him home to Boston, with Ramon Vazquez coaching third base in St. Petersburg. Febles will rejoin the team on the homestand Friday night.
- In addition to all their other pitching issues, Red Sox starters have been slow to the plate of late, resulting in a rash of stolen bases. Opposing baserunners have swiped eight bases in 11 tries, with catchers Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki unable to have much of a chance because of big jumps for the baserunners. "It's more (about) the times to home,'' said Roenicke, "is the issue when a catcher usually doesn't have a chance to throw somebody out. We've got some guys who have high leg kicks. We've talked to them to try to get then to shorten up and the problem is, if you shorten them up too much then you don't make good pitches home. So what's more important - making that good pitch home or to hurry it up to give your catcher a better chance to throw somebody out (knowing) you're probably not going to make as good of a pitch? (Some) teams slide step more, but I think when team do that, you sacrifice the quality of pitches home. So we're trying to make sure they give our catchers a little bit more of a chance.''