BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 20, Rays 8 - Sox bats break through against Tampa

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox’ 20-8 win over the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Sox flex muscles at plate

After relinquishing a three-run lead on Tuesday in what was their 10th loss in their last 12 games, the Red Sox’ bats ensured that yet another heartbreaker was not going to be in the cards on Wednesday night.

By the time the Rays finally got on the board in the top of the sixth off of a solo shot from Brandon Lowe, 14 Red Sox base runners had already crossed home plate — with the floodgates fully opening for Boston in what was ultimately a 20-8 blowout at Fenway Park.

With the win, the Sox improve to 66-50 on the season and move to four games back of the Rays for first place in the AL East. 

Despite Boston’s struggles over the last couple of weeks, the club has actually managed to generate offense as of late — scoring 12 runs in its last two contests against the Blue Jays and Rays (both losses). 

But for as much as Boston has managed to land punches against opponents, building off of early leads have regularly been a struggle — with the Sox failing to deliver knockout blows despite putting clubs on the ropes. 

Such wasn’t the case on Wednesday, however.

After three straight doubles off the bats of Kiké Hernandez, Hunter Renfroe and Xander Bogaerts to open the contest gave the Sox some breathing room, they were back for more in the following frame, with Renfroe’s second double in as many innings tacking on two more runs and making it a 5-0 game. 

A five-run fourth inning served as the much-needed haymaker, while a four-run fifth simply served as the final nail in the coffin. 

Wednesday marked the 14th time this season that the Sox have scored 10+ runs in a contest — and the most runs scored by the club since August 2015. Every Sox starter scored a run and eight different batters drove in at least a run in the win. 

Given how arduous these last couple of weeks have been for Boston, cruising through a blowout was a much-needed breath of fresh air. 

Eovaldi dominates

Boston’s scoring outburst might steal most headlines in a laugher like this one, but the Sox were also lifted by a fantastic outing from Nathan Eovaldi — who only surrendered one run over seven innings while fanning 10 Rays batters. 

Of course, the Red Sox didn’t exactly need a quality outing from their starter given their heavy lifting at the plate — but a dominant showing from Eovaldi was certainly a welcome development, especially after he was rocked in his last start against the Blue Jays last Friday (7 ER in 4.2 IP). A brutal ending for Phillips Valdéz (1 IP, 7 ER) might leave a bad taste in the mouth of some fans, but this one was already well over by the time Valdez was handed the ball in the ninth. 

TURNING POINT

There was no late-inning rally or drastic change of momentum to be found on Wednesday night. Simply put, the Sox came out swinging and didn’t look back. 

Boston set the tone right from the jump — with Hernandez smacking a Josh Fleming pitch into center to lead things off. One pitch later, Renfroe drove Hernandez in with a double of his own. Two more pitches — and another double, with Bogaerts drilling a cut fastball into deep center to give Boston an early lead it would not relinquish. 

Tonight marks the only time in the expansion era (1967-present) in which the Red Sox have opened a game with three consecutive doubles in their first three plate appearances. 

FOUR UP

Nathan Eovaldi: Boston didn’t even need a 20-run outburst on Wednesday night given the performance that Eovaldi put forward (well, at least until Valdez's inning of work). Still, Boston will certainly take a quality start from Eovaldi — especially given that it let a beleaguered Sox bullpen lick its wounds for a night, with regulars like Matt Barnes, Adam Ottavino, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Taylor all given the night off. 

Top of the order: Boston’s 1-2-3 hitters on Wednesday in Hernandez, Renfroe and Bogaerts set the tone early and often in this one, combining for eight hits, eight RBI, nine runs scored and six extra-base hits. Despite Boston's big night at the plate, Bogaerts hit the lone home run — a three-run shot in the eighth — for the Sox in this one.

J.D. Martinez: After going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Tuesday, Martinez bounced back with a productive night at the plate — going 4-for-4 and reaching base six total times.  

Bobby Dalbec: Granted, his bases-clearing triple in the fifth was aided by Randy Arozarena going for an adventure out in right — but given Dalbec's up-and-down play at the plate this year, there's plenty of positives to build off a 2-for-3 night with two walks and five runs knocked in. 

TWO DOWN

Jarren Duran: Pretty much every regular in the Sox lineup had at least somewhat of a productive night at the plate — but Duran still had a night to forget, fanning twice and leaving six men on base. 

Phillips Valdéz: Handed mop-up duty in the ninth, Valdez raised the blood pressure of at least a few Red Sox fans in what should have been a breeze of a relief outing — giving up seven runs in his inning of work. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• In their last 5 games, Red Sox starting pitchers have allowed 7 ER in 27.1 IP (2.32 ERA).

• Nathan Eovaldi has issued 1 or 0 walks in 9 of his last 10 starts. 

• In both of his starts against Tampa this season, Eovaldi has gone seven innings and relinquished just one run. 

• In total, 14 of Hunter Renfroe’s last 18 hits have gone for extra bases (eight doubles, six home runs). 

• In each of the last 12 meetings between the Sox and Rays at Fenway Park, the two teams have combined to score at least 10 runs (11, 13, 13, 15, 10, 14, 25, 13, 11, 11, 12, 28). 

UP NEXT

The Red Sox will close out their three-game series against the Rays on Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. Tanner Houck (0-2, 2.45) will get the start for Boston, with Drew Rasmussen (1-1, 4.15) set to take the mound for the Rays.