All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Bullpen blows another: The Red Sox suffered their 24th blown save of the season, and it proved costly. The team was without either Garrett Whitlock or John Schreiber, their two best relievers, and had to patch and fill with a late-inning lead to protect. After starter Michael Wacha provided six strong innings, allowing just two runs, veteran Jeurys Familia came in to start the seventh. He began by hitting pinch-hitter Vidal Brujan, putting the potential tying run on base. A stolen base and infield out put Brujan at third, from where he scored on a double by Manuel Margot. In came rookie Zack Kelly, who got a groundout for the second out, but then yielded a double just inside the right field line to David Peralta, scoring the go-ahead run.
Wacha shines, reaches milestone: Michael Wacha has been, without question, the team's best starting pitcher from the beginning of the season. He turned in another excellent outing, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings. The first run off him in the first inning after three soft bloop singles. The only other run against him came on a misplay by Franchy Cordero in left on a run-scoring double. He didn't issue a single walk, and among his seven strikeouts, the final one -- which came on Wacha's 97th and final pitch of the game -- was also his 1,000th career strikeout. "This guy,'' marveled Alex Cora, "every five days, it's a solid start.''
Cordero injured: Outfielder Franchy Cordero had to be carted off the field in the bottom of the fifth. Cordero, playing left field, went back on a flyball hit by Randy Arozarena, and in tracking the ball, mistimed his leap against the wall. Attempting to leap for the ball, Cordero planted his foot in the protective covering off the wall and appeared to get his spike caught in the covering. He went down in a heap and seemed unable to put much weight on his right foot. He was replaced by Rob Refsnyder. Alex Cora said Cordero will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine if there's any ligament damage. It's unknown how much time he might miss, or whether the injury will require an IL stint. He exited the Tropicana Field clubhouse on crutches, which is somewhat ominous.
TURNING POINT
Leading 3-2 in the seventh, the Red Sox had a golden chance to add to their lead after Rafael Devers worked a two-out walk and load the bases. But Trevor Story couldn't put the ball in play against Tampa Bay reliever Calvin Faucher, striking out to leave three baserunners stranded. The Red Sox only got one more runner into scoring position thereafter.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo got the scoring underway with a line drive homer in the top of the first inning and later added a walk, another run scored and a single.
Xander Bogaerts: For the ninth straight game, Bogaerts had a multiple-hit game, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to do so. He had singles in the first and seventh innings.
TWO DOWN
Tommy Pham: Serving as the DH for the second straight game, Pham had a rough go of it. He worked a walk and scored a run, but was otherwise 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Kike Hernandez: Hernandez was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and didn't get the ball out of the infield in four plate appearances.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I don't know about that...that first hitter (getting) on base. That's a hard one to take.'' Alex Cora, after Vidal Brujan was hit in the elbow and came around to score the tying run. Replays showed that the pitch may have been a strike as it struck Brujan's elbow.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Rays won the season series with the Red Sox for the fourth straight season.
* This was only the fifth time this season that the Sox lost a game started by Michael Wacha.
* For the first time in the last seven games, the Red Sox failed to score at least five runs.
* The Red Sox fell to 18-37 against teams from the AL East.
UP NEXT
The middle game of the series will be at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday night, with LHP Rich Hill (6-5, 4.52) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (9-4, 2.70).