For six innings, it was an entertaining, competitive game. Then it got our of hand quickly.
The Tampa Bay Rays exploded for six runs in the eighth inning to blow away the Red Sox, 8-2, and win for the 11th time in their last 12 tries at Fenway.
The loss spoiled a solid start from Martin Perez, who held the Rays to two runs on three hits through 5.2.
The Sox managed a run in the second when Christian Vazquez doubled to right and Michael Chavis singled to center. They didn't score again until the eighth when Alex Verdugo slapped a single to left, delivering Jonathan Arauz from second.
Austin Brice was battered for five of the six runs in the seventh.
WHO: Red Sox (6-10) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (9-8)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Tampa Bay 1-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Tampa Bay 2-1
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Martin Perez (2-1, 3.45) vs. RHP Andrew Kittredge
TV/RADIO: NESN PLUS; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Benintendi LF
Verdugo RF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Moreland 1B
Vazquez C
Chavis 2B
Bradley Jr. CF
Arauz 3B
RAYS
Brosseau 2B
Diaz 3B
Meadows LF
Martinez DH
Renfroe RF
Choi 1B
Adames SS
Margot CF
Zunino C
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
10:32 Sox have just two hits over the last five innings.
10:04 It's gotten ugly quickly here in the seventh as the Rays have sent 10 men to the plate (and counting) and tacked on six runs.
9:56 First bad outing for Austin Brice, who, after retiring the first two hitters he faced (last out of the sixth, first in the seventh), allowed five straight to reach. Three runs in, two runners left for Robert Stock.
9:43 Manuel Margot continues to wear out his former team. Four hits last night, including two doubles. And now, a run-scoring double chopped over the head of Arauz, giving the Rays a big insurance run in the seventh.
9:34 Sox get the leadoff man (J.D. Martinez) on to start the sixth, but Xander Bogaerts erases him as he hits into a 5-4-3 double play. Second in two nights for Bogaerts and five for the Sox in this series.
9:25 Perez issues a two-out walk to Carlos Martinez in the sixth and that's all for him. One of the better starts of the season for a Red Sox starter.
9:17 Kittredge removed with right elbow soreness, according to the Rays. Will continue to be examined. Day-to-day.
9:06 Nearly every game, Jonathan Arauz does something that catches your eye. Just made a fantastic backhand stop of a hot shot from Brosseau, then fired a bullet across the infield for the final out in the fifth.
8:27 Alex Verdugo charged that ball well, but then took forever to get the ball out of his glove with an extra crow hop. Brousseau slides in just ahead of the tag by Vazquez.
8:22 Mike Zunino came into the night with three career homers against Perez, but the lefty made sure to keep the ball down. Everything was at the knees or below, including a cutter at the very bottom of the zone for a called strike three.
8:14 Everyone hits tonight -- first Benintendi and now Jackie Bradley Jr. (1-for-27) singles off first baseman Ji-Man Choi's glove.
8:11 Double to right by Christian Vazquez and a line single to center by Michael Chavis and the Red Sox have tied things up.
7:48 Tampa Bay starter Andrew Kittredge is out after two batters -- and now, that wasn't the opener plan. Could be seen shaking his right arm (elbow?) after delivering his last pitch. John Curtiss is the new pitcher and he'll get, as they like to say, all the time he needs
7:46 Back in the leadoff spot, Andrew Benintendi has third hit of the season and only the second that wasn't a bunt.
7:36 Didn't take long for the Rays to grab a quick lead -- on the sixth pitch of the game, Mike Brousseau takes Martin Perez the other way and it's 1-0 Tampa.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- The Red Sox optioned LHP Jeffrey Springs to their alternate training site today and recalled RHP Robert Stock from the same site. Springs was lit up for three runs in an inning and a third in Monday's loss. Stock was claimed from the Phillies in late July. "He's had success before in the major leagues,'' said Ron Roenicke, "so hopefully that's what we see, with a good fresh arm.'' Said pitching coach Dave Bush: "I know he's got big velo, he's got big stuff. He's had success in the past and he's also had some times when he hasn't been. From what I've heard the last couple of weeks, he's been really good down there. The velo is up, the stuff is good and he's had some major league experience so he's a guy we can bring up and plus in right away.''
- Rafael Devers remained out of the lineup for a second straight game, still hampered by a swollen ankle. Devers worked out on his own earlier in the afternoon and took some BP and reported to Roenicke that he felt "way better. We weren't quite sure where he was going to be after at after last night, but (he's) a lot better today.''
- On the other hand, Mitch Moreland, who missed Monday with a sore left knee, was back in the lineup. Roenicke declined to get into specifics about the nature of the knee problem. "These are the things we talk about with him,'' said Roenicke. "He's not young anymore. He's played a lot and he's played really hard and he's got a big strong body that has just taken a beating. When he's good, he can be great (physically) for a week and then all of a sudden we need to rest him. Or he could be great for two days. It's not a daily conversation but it's something there, that we need to talk to him constantly about. But we know that when he's on the field, he's so productive that we want him out there a lot. So no matter what we do with him or how much we rest him, when he's ready to go, we know the production's going to be there. That should allow him to do this quite a while. If he wants to do this for a few more years and he's in a spot where he's not playing 150 games, then I think that he'll still be productive.''
- Andrew Benintendi (0-for-17) was back at the top of the lineup after being removed from there over the weekend. Roenicke had utilized Alex Verdugo in the No. 1 spot Saturday and Sunday. "Just still switching them off,'' said Roenicke. "and trying to figure out where one belongs versus the other. They both, I think would probably prefer hitting second. So it's kind of switching them off. And it's also looking at pinch-hit situations, if we do make a switch with a pinch-hitter, where that fits better.''
- Zach Godley will start Wednesday night on three days' rest, but Roenicke didn't envision him being limited in terms of pitch count. "His pitch count wasn't that high last time,'' said Roenicke, "If we had gone 85 pitches or something with him last time, we would for sure go short tomorrow. But his pitch count allows him to go as long as he's doing well. We won't let him go too long, but hopefully, it's more like a conventional start.''
- The Sox haven't announced their plans for a starter Thursday night, but that announcement could come after tonight's game. Lefty Kyle Hart is one possibility. "For him a lot of the adjustments are small -- they're incremental changes in terms of pitch mix and pitch shape, trying to understand exactly where his stuff plays in the zone,'' said Bush, "and how to mix his pitches together and how to sequence things. I don't expect any big changes with him, but as he's done the last couple of years, just getting incrementally better at those small things is what's allowed him to be successful at each step along the way. His command is going to be critical -- it always is for him because the stuff isn't going to light up a radar gun. But he's got multiple pitches and he commands the ball to both sides of the plate. So the better he is at that stuff, the better he's going to be.''
- Jackie Bradley Jr, is just 1-for-27 and has been focused on trying to beat the shift. "If you look at all of my hits this year,'' Bradley said. "it's been the other way. Obviously made a conscious decision to try to beat it. A lot of balls have been hit to short, to the left side. I'm trying to work at it, competing, trying to get a pitch I can handle and will keep continuing to progress on that.''