All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Boston offense silenced: The Red Sox got a solo homer from Bobby Dalbec with one out in the second inning, tying the game at 1-1. After that? Pretty much nothing. The Sox didn't score again. Over the final four innings of the game, the best they could muster was two singles. They had exactly one threat in the entire game -- that came in the fourth when, with one out, Xander Bogaerts singled and Alex Verdugo followed with one of his own, giving them runners at first-and-second and one out. But a forceout took care of Verdugo at second, and with runners at the corners and the game still within reach, Christian Vazquez grounded out to second. That marked the last time the Sox had a baserunner past first base. The Sox are fully capable of piling up double figures in runs against last-place teams like Minnesota and Texas, but when the pitching they face gets better, the Sox can look punchless. Monday was one of those nights, with Tampa rookie starter Luis Patino holding them in check for 5.2 innings and the vaunted Tampa Bay bullpen taking it from there to the fiinish.
Pivetta labors: Two months ago, Nick Pivetta came into Tropicana Field and held the Rays without a hit for 6.2 innings. He was nowhere near as effective Monday night, though he managed to keep things close for most of his outing. The night began ominously for Pivetta when the first pitch he threw was hit out of the ballpark by Brandon Lowe. Some control issues plagued him and cost him in the third when a leadoff walk to Lowe followed by a wild pitch set in motion the second Rays run as Austin Meadows beat the shift and drove a run-scoring single though the second base hole. Pivetta was victimized by some tough luck in the fourth when a two-out double by Kevin Kiermaier followed by another wild pitch put a runner on third. Lowe then hit a turf chopper that bounced over the head of Dalbec at first. Pivetta featured his curveball on nearly half his pitches because he didn't have a good feel for his fastball. Ultimately, however, the five walks and two wild pitches contributed to his downfall.
TURNING POINT
Given how the night was going, the Sox had an uphill battle throughout. When Pivetta was lifted in the sixth, he left two baserunners for Hansel Robles. Robles then filled the bases with a walk to Lowe. A slow roller to third might have resulted in a double-play, but instead, Rafael Devers took his eye off the ball at the last second and it bounced away from him for a costly error, as the fourth run scored. It's unlikely the Sox were in position to come back from being down 3-1 as it was, but the fourth run effectively put the game out of reach from them.
ONE UP
Alex Verdugo: The Red Sox managed just six hits all night, with two coming from Verdugo -- a single in the fourth inning followed by another one in the sixth.
TWO DOWN
Rafael Devers: The multi-homer game he had Sunday didn't carry over. He was 0-for-4 with a strikeout and the costly error at third base.
Jarren Duran: The outfielder continues to look like he needs more time at Triple-A with an 0-for-3 night and two more strikeouts.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It is what it is. It's part of life.'' Alex Cora on the team's recent COVID outbreak.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Raynel Espinal, who turns 30 in the first week of October, made his major league debut in the eighth inning.
* The Red Sox have hit at least one homer in a season-high eight straight games.
* Since beating the Rays in the first four meetings of the season, the Sox have since dropped eight of the last nine games vs. Tampa Bay.
* After a three-hit game Saturday, Kyle Schwarber is 0-for-7 with five strikeouts.
* Bobby Dalbec has four homers in his last four games.
UP NEXT
The Sox and Rays continue their series Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m. with Red Sox undecided on a starter and the Rays going with LHP Ryan Yarbrough (7-4, 4.57)