All you need to know about the Red Sox' loss, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Comeback win a statement game: From the eighth inning on, the Red Sox erased deficits three times, finally posting a walk-off win in the bottom of the 12th. The first comeback came in the bottom of the eighth when Christian Vazquez homered over everything in left, tying the game at 3-3. In the 11th, after the Rays had gone ahead in the top of the inning, the Sox countered with a run on the first hit of the season from Rafael Devers. Finally, in the 12th, down to their last out, the Red Sox got a two-run double to right from J.D. Martinez, who drilled a hard liner over the head of Tampa Bay outfielder. For all the ridicule the Red Sox (rightly) received for being swept by the Orioles, the Sox have rallied with two big wins against a quality team, one that had beaten them soundly at Fenway over the last two seasons (12-1). Yes, it's early, and it's dangerous to overreact one way or another based on the first five games of a long season. But the fact that the Sox were able to rally three times late in the game says something about their mettle.
Martinez goes from goat to hero: In the eighth inning, Martinez doubled home a run and was on second base with one down when Rafael Devers hit a liner to right. Martinez broke as soon as the ball was hit, and was rounding third when he A) noticed the ball had been caught and B) that there only been one out. He was then picked off second for an inning-ending double play in an embarrassing sequence. But twice in the final three innings, he got his chance at redemption. In the 10th, with Enrique Hernandez on third and Alex Verdugo on first, the Rays brought the infield in and Willy Adames made a diving stop to cut down a grounder from Martinez, freezing the runner at third. Two innings later, Martinez got one more shot and this time made good. With the Sox trailing by a run and runner on second and third, outfielder Randy Arozorena moved in a few steps in right to give himself a chance to throw the potential winning run at the plate. But Martinez thwarted that by driving a liner over the head of Arozarena, scoring both baserunners and sending the Sox home tired but happy.
Sox finally win a game under new format: Last season, the first in which MLB introduced the automatic runner on second to start every extra inning, the Red Sox never got the hand of it, losing all four extra-inning games under manager Ron Roenicke. But just five games into this season, they finally figured things out. "We played (it) the right way,'' said Alex Cora. "We don't care about the runner at second; we care about the hitter. That's the important run of the inning. If they score, we (still) have a man on second with no outs. The chances of us scoring are high.'' In two of the three extra innings the Sox played Tuesday night, they answered after the Rays had scored in the top of the inning. And of course, the second time, they scored two to Tampa's one, giving them the victory that eluded them throughout all of 2020.
TURNING POINT
Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, the Red Sox got a huge defensive play from Franchy Cordero to save at least one run. With one out and two on, Manuel Margot hit a fly ball to the warning track in left. Cordero tracked the ball, timed his leap perfectly and grabbed the ball as it came down, no more than an inch in front of the wall. He then fired to the infield where the Sox doubled up Arozarena to complete an inning-ending double play. Cora later praised Cordero for putting extra work in at Fenway South, taking balls off the wall of the replica Green Monster that graces the Sox' spring training facility.
TWO UP
Martin Perez: Perez gave the Sox a reasonable approximation of his starts last year, managing to keep the Sox in the game by pitching into the sixth and allowing three runs.
Matt Barnes: Barnes was dominant with two scoreless innings of relief, with four strikeouts recorded.
TWO DOWN
Darwinzon Hernandez: For the second straight night, Hernandez couldn't find the plate. On Monday, he walked two of the first three batters he faced and Tuesday, he faced four hitters and walked two more.
Marwin Gonzalez: Gonzalez acquitted himself fine at first base, but was 0-for-5 at the plate and was the only member of the starting lineup who failed to reach base.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We won the series. We won the series from the defending American League champions. It's a good bounce-back from what happened this weekend and we have a chance to sweep them (Wednesday).'' - Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- J.D. Martinez had his fourth straight multi-hit game.
- The Sox had two outfield assists -- one from Alex Verdugo and another from Franchy Cordero.
- Of the 10 hits by the Red Sox, six were doubles.
- Rafael Devers snapped a hitless streak that had grown to 10 at-bats with a single in the sixth.