Swept in a series for the first time since the first week of the season and their losing streak at a season-high four games, the Red Sox slumped out of Tropicana Field Sunday night, losers to the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2, dropping them 1.5 games out of first in the AL East.
The Sox never led in the game, which saw them go without a hit with a man on base until the ninth inning. The Sox had runners at first and third in the ninth but couldn't push across the equalizer.
They stranded 10 baserunners and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Nick Pivetta gave up a two-run homer to Nate Lowe and was lifted after 4.2 innings.
WHO: Red Sox (63-43) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (63-42)
WHEN: 7:08 p.m.
WHERE: Tropicana Field
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 4-4
SERIES TO DATE: TB 2-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (8-4, 4.51) vs. LHP Shane McClanahan (4-4, 3.93)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93..7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez 2B
Devers 3B
Martinez LF
Bogaerts SS
Renfroe RF
Vazquez C
Verdugo CF
Plawecki DH
Dalbec 1B
RAYS
Lowe 2B
Meadows LF
Cruz DH
Choi 1B
Diaz 3B
Franco SS
Margot RF
Kiermaier CF
Zunino C
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
T7: Wild pitch from Drew Rasmussen enables Verdugo to score from third base and the Sox are within a run.
T7: At a time when the Sox needed contact to score a runner from third with one out, Dalbec can't get the job done, chasing a pitch up and out of the zone.
T7: Margot makes a tremendous catch, crashing into the RF wall and taking extra bases away from Kevin Plawecki. Alex Verdugo moves up to third.
B6: Bobby Dalbec has struggled at first base of late, but he turns in a nice 3-6-3 double play with a strong throw to second base.
B5: That's all for Pivetta, who gives the Sox 4.2 innings and is lifted in favor of Josh Taylor with lefty Lowe due.
B5: Manuel Margot with an opposite-field line single, scoring Wander Franco.
T4: Hunter Renfroe gets a four-seamer at the very top of the zone and crushes it to straightaway CF for a solo homer. No. 16, getting a run back for the Sox.
B3: First Rays' hit off Pivetta in his last two starts is a big one -- a two-run shot to RF off a slider for Brandon Lowe. First runs for the Rays off Pivetta in 14.1 innings this season.
T3: J.D. Martinez continues to look lost at the plate. Already 0-for-2 at the plate, making him 5-for-44.
B2: Nick Pivetta, who didn't allow a hit in 6/1 innings in his last start against the Rays, picks up where he left off, retiring the first six hitters of the night.
T2: Red Sox continue to chase pitches out of the strike zone, with five straight strikeouts.
WHAT'S UP: At 63-43 (.594), the Red Sox own the third-best record in the AL, tied for fourth-best in the majors. The Sox have lost four of their last five games, after winning six of their previous seven...The Red Sox have lost each of their last three games, matching their longest losing streak of the season (fourth time)...Prior to this stretch, it had been nearly two months since they lost three consecutive games....In between those three-game skids, they were 31-17 (.646). The Sox are one of two teams without a losing streak of longer than three games this season....Since losing their first three games of the season to BAL, the Sox have not been swept in a series of any length... They have earned 10 series sweeps (one four-game, four three-game, four two-game, one one-game)....Today snapped a stretch in which the Red Sox began 34 consecutive days with at least a share of 1st place in the AL East from June 28-July 31...Their largest lead of 2021 is 4.5 games and their largest deficit is 3.0 games. The Sox are 29-17 (.630) vs. AL East teams...The Sox are 30-21 (.588) on the road, tied with HOU for the AL’s best record...They have a 4.00 ERA on the road (11th in MLB) and a 4.41 ERA at home (24th)... Xander Bogaerts played in his 1,000th game at shortstop last night...According to Elias, he became the 70th player to appear in 1,000 or more games at SS for a single franchise, the third to do so with the Sox (Everett Scott-1,093, Rick Burleson-1,004). Last night was also Bogaerts’ 988th start at SS, passing Burleson for the second-most starts at the position in Red Sox history (Scott: 1,081)....The Red Sox have allowed 29 runs in their last three games (10.08 ERA), after giving up four runs or fewer in each of their previous nine games (3.35 ERA). In their first nine games out of the All-Star break, Red Sox starting pitchers posted a 3.50 ERA ...In the last turn through the rotation (6 games), Sox starters have a 9.24 ERA....Red Sox relievers rank third in the AL and eight in MLB in ERA (3.65)...Their nine active relievers have a combined 2.84 ERA for Boston this season.....In his last 14 games (beginning 6/22), Matt Barnes has posted a 0.66 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP....Josh Taylor has allowed no runs in 32 of his 33 outings...Among the 167 pitchers with at least 50.0 innings this season, Garrett Whitlock ranks first in the AL and second in the majors with a 1.26 ERA (deGrom-1.08). Whitlock has made 18 scoreless appearances of more than an inning, most in MLB...He is the first Sox pitcher with 18 such games in a season since Derek Lowe in 1999 (22).....In 15 games since the All-Star break, the Red Sox are averaging 4.3 runs per game and hitting .243 with a .744 OPS...Overall, they rank in the top 5 in the majors in runs (T-third, 528), AVG (fourth, .256), SLG (third .439), OPS (fourth, .759), doubles (first, 225), and XBH (first, 372)....The Red Sox lead MLB with 32 outfield assists, 10 more than any other team (MIA-22)...Sox OFs rank seventh in the majors with 15 defensive runs saved (FanGraphs). The Red Sox lead MLB with 33 come-from-behind wins (the Rays rank second with 31)...The Sox trailed after five innings in 12 of those comeback wins....Nick Pivetta has thrown six or more innings in nine of his 20 starts, and five or more innings in 15 of them...He's recorded 74 SO over 10 starts (55.2 IP), his most in any 10-game span of his career. Pivetta. leads Sox starters in opponent AVG (.237) and ranks second in WHIP (1.34), strikeouts (120), and SO/9.0 IP (10.03)....He ranks seventh among qualified AL pitchers in SO/9.0 IP (10.03).... Among AL RHP, Pivetta's .211 opponent AVG vs. LHB ranks 5th (min. 125 AB vs. LHB) behind Glasnow (.139), Greinke (.188), Bassitt (.203), and Giolito (.210)....
NOTES:
* Alex Cora said LHP Chris Sale will remain with the WooSox and go on a road trip Monday. The expectation is that he'll make what could be his final rehab start Thursday in Scranton. Cora spoke with Sale Sunday
* Marwin Gonzalez finished a rehab assignment at Worcester Sunday and will travel to Detroit where the Sox will enjoy an off-day Monday. Gonzalez and a few others -- including newly-acquired OF/1B Kyle Schwarber will take part in the workout and continue to get work in at first base.
* Brandon Workman, who was designated for assignment last Thursday, cleared waivers and was outrighted by the Red Sox. Workman elected to choose free agency rather than accept an assignment to Worcester.