Red Sox rally late on Trevor Story RBI single, sting Rays 6-3, lowering magic number to clinch playoff berth

The Red Sox have been battered and tested by a September grind that has threatened to undo their summer’s progress and delivered the kind of victory Saturday that could define their season — a 6-3 triumph over the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.

Boston sent left-hander Kyle Harrison to the mound, making his first start as a member of the Red Sox. Harrison and Sox’ fans have waited three months since the June trade to finally see Harrison make an impact at the big league level. As the Red Sox are clinging to an AL Wild Card spot, Harrison delivered, tossing six strong innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

“Amazing,” Alex Cora told reporters of Harrison’s first Red Sox start on Saturday night. “He did an outstanding job.”

Boston’s young pitching of Harrison, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early has tossed meaningful innings over the last few weeks, helping to keep the Sox in the playoff hunt.

“In the offseason a lot of people talked about the ‘Big Three’ and position players, but I mean, we have some good arms too, and they have come up here and done their job,” Cora said. “Throughout the year we’ve been banged up, but the kids, they come here, and they just pitch, man. They’re not scared of the situation, and today was a big one.”

The lefty hadn’t pitched in 10 days, and it was his first start in the majors since early June. In the fourth inning, Rays outfielder Jake Mangum smacked an RBI double off Harrison, the only run he allowed in the game. The Rays attempted to do additional damage in the sixth after Yandy Diaz opened the frame with a single and Harrison walked Junior Caminero. The Sox’ lefty hunkered down and retired the next three batters to end the threat.

Boston’s offense offered some run support for Harrison, scoring three runs, including the first run of the game in the third inning off Rays starter Adrian Houser. Ceddanne Rafaela opened the inning with a strikeout, followed by Jarren Duran lacing a sharp line drive to the center fielder. The speedster stole second for his 24th stolen base of the season. A wild pitch moved Duran to third base, and he later scored on a wild pitch from Houser as he walked Trevor Story.

Alex Bregman has been slowly getting going again at the plate, lining a hard single to left-center to drive in another Red Sox run to make it 2-1 in the fifth. One inning later, Romy Gonzalez reached first after getting hit in the hand and then stole second base. Nate Eaton moved Gonzalez to third base on a sacrifice bunt, and he later scored on a Nathaniel Lowe sacrifice fly, giving Boston a 3-1 lead.

The Sox’ bullpen wasn’t able to keep the lead for Harrison. Justin Wilson opened the seventh inning with a leadoff walk to left-handed hitter Josh Lowe, followed by an RBI double to catcher Nick Fortes. With two outs and the tying run on second base, Cora went back to his bullpen and summoned Justin Slaten, who gave up a single to Diaz, scoring Fortes and tying the game 3-3.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless eighth inning, keeping the game knotted as the Sox batted in the ninth.

Rafaela led off the ninth, hitting a routine grounder to Caminero, who committed an error, allowing Rafaela to move to second. Trevor Story lined an RBI single to right-center off reliever Jesse Scholtens, giving the Sox a 4-3 lead.

It was the fourth straight game Story has driven in a run, and he now has 95 RBI on the season.

“We needed that right there,” Cora said of Story’s clutch hit and 95th RBI.

Bregman singled to put runners on the corners. Masataka Yoshida grounded an RBI single to right, and one batter later, Bregman scored from third on a sac fly.

All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman slammed the door, securing the Red Sox' second straight win of the series, the first time they’ve won back-to-back games in 11 games, earning his 31st save of the season.

With the 6-3 win on Saturday night, the Red Sox' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now 6.

“We’re gonna suffer, but it’s fun,” Cora said. “They’re playing for each other, giving everything they have, and tonight they’ll reset and be ready for tomorrow.”

The two teams close out their series on Sunday night at 7:35 p.m. Boston will send rookie Connelly Early (1-0, 0.87 ERA) to the mound; the Rays have not yet announced a starter for the game. The game was originally an afternoon matchup but was moved to the evening, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets playing at 1 p.m.