BSJ Game Report: Rays 9, Red Sox 7 - Boston's comeback bid falls short after fading behind early

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

Rays get to Houck early; Boston can’t overcome deficit: The Rays got to Tanner Houck early and often, tagging him for seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, including a home run, through the first three innings. The Red Sox rallied admirably, pulling to within 7-6, but ultimately fell 9-6. Enmanuel Valdez led the way for Boston’s comeback attempt, coming a triple shy of the cycle as he went 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBI and a run. His three-run homer in the fifth sparked the offensive flurry for the Sox. 

TURNING POINTS

Top of the first: Tampa got off to a hot start as Junior Caminero took a hanging slider from Houck for an RBI double to make it 1-0 before Rafael Devers compounded the mistakes with an error, unable to handle a hot shot (off another hanging slider). A pair of RBI singles (another one off a hanging slider) extended it to 3-0 before Houck retired the next three batters to get out of it. He took six errors to record an out in the first. 

Top of the third: Things went from bad to worse for Houck and the Sox in the third as Reese McGuire went down with an injury as Houck was getting warm before the inning even started. Three straight singles allowed Tampa to extend it to 4-0. After Taylor Walls’ groundout scored Curtis Mead to make it 5-0, Rene Pinto took Houck deep for a two-run shot to make it 7-0 and put Boston further into a hole (on another hanging slider). 

TWO UP

Enmanuel Valdez: What a night for Valdez with the four RBI. Absolutely crushed a cutter in the fifth to spark Boston’s rally and cut it to 7-3 with his three-run shot. Left the bat at 106.2 mph and traveled 411 feet. His double off the Monster kept the Sox’ pulse alive, making it 9-7. 

Wilyer Abreu: All in all, a good day for Abreu, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run at the dish. Did a nice job of going the other way on a sinker for his two-RBI double in the sixth to cut it to 7-5 as the Sox attempted to rally. 

FIVE DOWN

Tanner Houck: Just did not have anything going from the start. Left three sliders middle-middle in the first inning alone as he got knocked around early. Got through the second fine but fell apart again in the third. Left another slider hanging on Pinto’s two-run bomb. Could not locate or stop the damage in any fashion once things started to slip away. Limping to the finish over his last two outings.

Rafael Devers: His error in the first inning did not help the snowball whatsoever. Defense needs to be a serious focus once again for his offseason if it wasn’t already obvious. Went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts at the plate. 

Chris Murphy & Josh Winckowski: After the Sox admirably fought back to cut it to 7-6 entering the top of the eight, Murphy and Winckowski struggled as Tampa regained insurance. A single, a walk, a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt put runners on third and second in short order against Murphy. Inheriting a jam, Winckowski saw the deficit expand to 9-6 after an RBI groundout and an RBI single. 

Connor Wong: Coming on in relief of the injured McGuire, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Waved at a cutter way outside with runners on third and second and a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. 

NOTABLE 

Devers leads all MLB third basemen with 19 errors, five clear of the next-highest total. 

McGuire left the game with a left thumb contusion after going down in a lot of discomfort after a warmup pitch from Houck. Alex Cora said he's been dealing with a thumb issue and should be OK. He'll be available Wednesday. 

Cora said he sees Valdez remaining at second base. 

Manuel Margot went 4-for-4 with a pair of runs and RBI.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"[Valdez] is a good hitter, man. Both of them [Valdez and Abreu]," Cora told reporters. "They're advanced. ... They swing at strikes and they hit strikes hard, both of them. They're short to the ball and they get to fastballs, both of them. Very advanced like I said in the way they approach. They put good at-bats. ... Both of them are going to winter ball. Just going to make sure they stay healthy throughout. There are a few things we want them to work on throughout the offseason. ... It'll be an interesting season because those guys, with the way they approach and the way they go about it, they can help us."

He added of the Christian Vazquez trade that netted Valdez and Abreu, "I think Chaim [Bloom] did an outstanding job getting those two players. ... They're two good players. The front office did an outstanding job recognizing them. Not many people knew about them, but we did. We know about the approach and the hitting tool. So far it's been fun."

UP NEXT

The finale for this season’s home slate and the two-game series will be Wednesday at Fenway against the Rays. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. before the Red Sox head to Baltimore for a four-game set to finish the season against the O’s. RHP Brayan Bello (12-10, 4.11 ERA) will race RHP Tyler Glasnow (9-7, 3.68 ERA).