BSJ Game Report: Rays 8, Red Sox 6 (11) - Boston claws back but falls in extras in Tampa

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Sox drop back-and-forth affair in extras: Brandon Lowe crushed a three-run walk-off home run off Kenley Jansen to give the Rays an 8-6 win over the Red Sox in 11 innings. It was Jansen's first blown save on the road this season in his first time pitching three games in a row all season. Boston took a 6-5 lead in the top of the 11th after Lowe bobbled a popup behind second base. The Sox also clawed back from being down 3-0 and 5-2 to force extra innings. 

Boston misses chance to make up ground in race: With the loss, the Sox remain 4.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot (as things currently stand) with 23 games left. They are now 1-5 in extra innings games this season. 

TURNING POINT

Bottom of the 11th: Lowe wasn't about to let the Rays go quietly into the night, even after they tried their best to hand Boston the game between their own defensive struggles and failing to come through with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th. After Yandy Diaz started things off with a walk, Lowe took an up-and-in cutter for a 110.7-mph ride to end it. 

THREE UP

Enmanuel Valdez: Should have made the play on his sixth-inning error, but gave Boston life in the top of the third with a two-run shot to answer Tampa’s three-run bottom of the second. Finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and runs. 

Justin Turner: Twice came up big with RBI for Boston, cutting it to 5-3 with a single in the top of the sixth before making it 5-4 with a single in the top of the seventh. Picked up his 90th and 91st RBI in the process to set a new career-high, and finished 2-for-5. 

Brennan Bernardino: Was pretty automatic in his relief appearances, locking it down in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of K's after Boston tied it in the top of the inning. 

FIVE DOWN

Kutter Crawford: Once again failed to make it through a significant chunk of innings, going just 3.2. Charged with five runs (earned) on three hits with four walks and five Ks. Said last week that physically, he feels fine, but velocity on his four-seamer was down once again. Have to wonder how taxed he is. 

Joe Jacques: Couldn’t clean up Crawford’s mess, hitting back-to-back batters to drive in a pair of runs with the bases juiced and two away in the fourth. 

Adam Duvall: Dismal day at the plate, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Froze on a fastball in the zone with the bases loaded and no outs for Boston in the top of the sixth. Made a great play to help Boston escape the bottom of the tenth, though.

Wilyer Abreu: Went 0-for-2 and had a major blunder in the field. Didn’t communicate with Yoshida, took his eye off the flyball before losing it in the circus tent that is the Trop as the ball dropped in for a triple as Tampa opened the scoring in the second.

Youngsters' defense: Between Abreu's miscue early on, Ceddanne Rafaela booting one at short early and Valdez squandering what should have been a routine play at second, the Sox were back to their old habits in the field, giving away free outs. 

NOTABLE 

Rafaeala went 2-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts and runs. Had an error in the bottom of the first at shortstop. 

The Red Sox have the second-most errors in all of baseball (94) and the second-most with two outs (35). 

Crawford has given up 11 earned runs in his last two starts while opponents have a .345 average.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"We're not here to teach them how to play the game. We're here to win games," Alex Cora said of the youngsters' ups and downs. "We look around. We know what's going on, and we have a chance. You know, a lot of people don't feel that way. But you win and look around, and it was a waste of a quote-unquote 'opportunity' tonight because we know what's going on in other places. It is what it is. We just got to keep playing hard, keep going, and we're gonna be OK." 

UP NEXT

The third of the three-game set will be Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. at the Trop as Boston looks to take the series. RHP Nick Pivetta (9-7, 4.49 ERA) will face RHP Tyler Glasnow (7-5, 3.17 ERA).