All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Sox pitchers piece it together: With Michael Wacha unable to make his scheduled start, the Red Sox had to turn to several pitchers Monday and it all worked out in the end. First came Austin Davis, serving as the team's opener for the second time this season. He supplied two scoreless innings and didn't allow a hit. Next came Kutter Crawford, who went 5.1 innings and struck out eight -- the first time a Red Sox reliever pitched five or more relief innings and struck out eight since Casey Fossum did so in 2002. Finally, John Schreiber closed things out by getting the final five outs, all in order. "Great job by the pitching department,'' said Alex Cora. Crawford had control issues in his last start, last month against St. Louis, but made some mechanical adjustments at Worcester and walked just one over the course of his outing. "Command of the baseball, throwing all five pitches in the zone, is one of the keys to my success,'' he said.
Story helps drive win: Of the 11 hits for the Red Sox, only two were for extra-base bases: a double by Christian Arroyo and a solo homer by Trevor Story in the fourth inning, his 13th of the season. Story has three homers and seven RBI over his last seven games, and leads the team in RBI with 53. Story is known as more of a pull hitter, but he's also capable of driving the ball out the other way as he did Monday, depositing a pitch into the Sox bullpen in right field. In games in which Story knocks in at least one run, the Red Sox are 22-6 this season, and that includes a 17-2 mark in the last 19 such games.
Infield hits keep piling up: No, it's not your imagination. The Red Sox have had a lot of infield hits over the last two days. They had an astounding seven at Wrigley Field Sunday, then tacked on three more in their home win on Monday. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the seven hits on Sunday were the ost for the Sox in one game in 60 years; they last had seven against the Yankees on May 16, 1962. And the 10 infield hits in the span of two games are the most for the franchise in the Expansion Era (since 1961). Previously, the Sox had nine in the span of two games on May 15-16, 1962. "Playing hard,'' said Story, "and trying to put as much pressure as we can on the defense -- I know it sounds pretty simple. But we're playing hard and making them make plays, over the past two days, we've gotten some runs out of it. Little things like that (help). You're not always going to slug.''
TURNING POINT
In the third inning, Crawford's first inning of work, a two-out throwing error by the pitcher was followed by a single to left by Wander Franco, giving the Rays runners at the corners and No. 3 hitter Ji-Man Choi at the plate. Had Choi produced a run there and the Rays took the lead, it might have changed how the rest of the game unfolded. But Crawford dug in and fanned Choi to strand both baserunners and Tampa Bay didn't get another baserunner into scoring position until the eighth inning.
TWO UP
Christian Arroyo: Arroyo seems to find different ways to contribute and Monday was no different. Getting the start at shortstop, Arroyo had two hits, marking his third multi-hit game in the last four games he's started.
Christian Vazquez: In addition to helping guide three pitchers over nine shutout innings, Vazquez also extended his hitting streak to 10 games while also earning a walk, allowing him to reach base multiple times for the 10th straight game.
ONE DOWN
J.D. Martinez: After being given a day off Sunday, the rest didn't seem to help the slumping Martinez at the plate. He managed an opposite-field single in his final at-bat, but was otherwise 0-for-3.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It's been fun to watch. It's a lot different than in previous years.'' Alex Cora, on the contributions the Sox have gotten from pitchers from their minor league system this season.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox improved to 17-7 in their last 24 home games.
* The victory was the seventh shutout for the Red Sox this season.
* Boston is now 14-4 when facing a left-handed starter, and have won the last 10 such games in a row.
* This was the Sox' eighth straight win on July 4, tying the franchise record.
* Alex Verdugo extended his hitting streak to 14 straight games, tying a career high.
* Rafael Devers had two hits, giving him 28 multi-hit games this season, second-most in the American League.
* Fifteen of Christian Arroyo's 24 hits this season have had exit velocities in excess of 100 mph.
UP NEXT
The middle game of the series takes place Tuesday at 7:10 with RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 2.33) vs. LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-2, 2.25).