All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Hill throws a gem: In what might well have been the best-pitched game for a Red Sox starter this season, 42-year-old Rich Hill pitched with a brisk pace and took seemingly no time at all to carve up the Tampa Bay lineup. In seven shutout innings, Hill fanned a season-high 11, walked just one and allowed only three singles -- two of which didn't leave the infield. He threw 95 pitches and amazingly, 71 were for strikes. Hill worked so fast at times that the Rays were constantly trying to call time to slow his rhythm down, but even that tactic didn't work. Twice, including his final innings of work, Hill got every out on strikeouts. It didn't seem to bother Hill that Tampa Bay had loaded up their lineup with all righthanded hitters. And given that the Sox had used Garrett Whitlock on Friday night and were thin in their bullpen, giving seven strong from their starter was a huge boost.
Offense out to a hot start: It didn't take long for the Red Sox to provide some backing for Hill. Unlike Friday, when they had to rally from an early three-run deficit, the Sox jumped out early and took an early lead themselves. They sent nine hitters to the plate in the first, with J.D. Martinez, the third batter of the game, banging a single high off the wall to account for the first two runs. Five hitters later, after the Sox had produced a couple more baserunners, it was Bobby Dalbec's turn. Dalbec reached out and connected with a breaking ball down and away and drove it up the middle, plating two more. Over the last eight innings, the Sox produced only one more run -- a solo homer by Kike Hernandez to lead off the fourth -- but with the way Hill was pitching, they didn't need anything more.
Duran optioned to Worcester: Prior to the game, the Red Sox activated Trevor Story from the IL after a six-week absence. To make room for him on the roster, the Sox optioned outfielder Jarren Duran to Worcester. Duran got plenty of playing time in center field in recent weeks, especially after Jackie Bradley Jr. was released, but couldn't sustain much offensively. He also struggled at times in the field, getting poor jumps on balls and taking the wrong routes. Manager Alex Cora said he told Duran that he wanted him to focus on getting on base rather than driving the ball for power. "I envision him stealing 30 bags at this level and that's a lot,'' said Cora. "That's the player we envision. And he knows it. And to do that, the on-base skills have to be better -- control the strike zone, work the count, go the other way.''
TURNING POINT
The Rays finally got a baserunner against Hill to lead off the fifth when Yu Chang beat out a slow roller to third base. But before the Rays could get any ideas about putting together a big inning, Hill went right back to work and promptly struck out the next three hitters in succession -- all of them swinging. Not only did that end any potential threat, but it also established that Hill could basically do anything he wanted with the Tampa lineup.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: He had a double and a single and a run scored at the plate, and also made a couple of nice plays in the infield, including a diving stab to take extra bases away from Taylor Walls.
J.D. Martinez: In four trips to the plate, Martinez had just one hit, but it was a big one -- a two-run single that provided the first two runs of the game.
TWO DOWN
Jeurys Familia: Called upon in the eighth after Hill was lifted, Familia got two quick out, then surrendered three straight singles for a run and needed help from John Schreiber to close out the inning.
Xander Bogaerts: A day after providing the big blow -- a three-run homer -- in Friday's win, Bogaerts took a step backward with an 0-for-3 afternoon.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Great tempo, good fastball, kept them off balance. (It was) a really good performance on a day when we needed that.'' Alex Cora on Rich Hill.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Rich Hill became the first Red Sox pitcher to record 11 or more strikeouts at age 40 or older.
* The Red Sox are now 3-2 in their last five series against AL East opponents.
* Alex Cora took over sole possession of ninth place on the all-time Red Sox managerial win list, passing Eddie Kasko with his 346th win.
* The game marked the 19th time in his career that Hill registered double figures in strikeouts.
* J.D. Martinez extended his hitting streak to seven games.
* Kike Hernandez has 10 RBI in his 10 games played since coming off the IL.
UP NEXT
The two teams will close out the weekend series at 1:35, with RHP Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.24) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (8-7, 4.20).