Red Sox fall to Rays, 5-1, but punch ticket to October with help from Braves

The Red Sox had another chance to take care of business themselves Sunday afternoon.

They couldn’t, but a few hours later, they got the help they needed.

Boston fell behind by four runs in the first inning and never recovered in a 5-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, dropping its second straight game and failing to clinch a postseason berth on its own.

That disappointment didn’t last long; with a 4-2 victory over the Astros late Sunday afternoon, the Braves officially punched Boston’s ticket to October, and a pair of familiar names played prominent roles.

Left-hander Martin Pérez, who pitched for the Red Sox from 2020-21, started for Atlanta and held Houston to one run. But the biggest Boston connection came from Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, whose three-run homer in the sixth gave the Braves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

It was an ironic way for the Red Sox to clinch after failing to do it themselves in Tampa.

The loss put an unsatisfying finish on Boston’s final road trip of the regular season. The Red Sox went just 2-4 through Texas and Tampa Bay, dropping the final two games of the weekend after taking Friday’s series opener.

Patrick Sandoval put them in an immediate hole.

The left-hander needed 40 pitches to escape the first inning, opening his afternoon by walking the first batter he faced and hitting the next. The Rays capitalized with consecutive run-scoring hits to quickly build a 4-0 advantage.

To Sandoval’s credit, he settled down considerably from there. He allowed just one more hit over his next six innings and completed seven, sparing interim manager Chad Tracy from having to dig into his bullpen early.

It continued a troubling stretch for Sandoval, who has allowed at least four runs in each of his last four starts. He hasn’t recorded a victory since Aug. 22 against the Giants, and what once appeared to be a potential audition for a long-relief role in October has instead become a difficult final month.

With the Red Sox’ postseason rotation already crowded and several other pitchers competing for bullpen spots, Sandoval’s recent struggles have complicated his case for inclusion. He could still receive another start during the final week, potentially next weekend against the Cubs.

The offense offered little help Sunday, managing just six hits against Griffin Jax and a parade of Tampa Bay relievers. Trevor Story finally broke up the shutout with a solo homer in the ninth, but by then the outcome had long since been decided.

Roman Anthony continued to provide an encouraging sign with October approaching.

After collecting two hits and driving in three runs Friday, then delivering an RBI double Saturday, Anthony singled in his first at-bat Sunday and doubled in the eighth. His lone missed opportunity came in the fifth, when he struck out with the bases loaded in what proved to be Boston’s best chance to climb back into the game.

Anthony has already demonstrated some streakiness during his young major league career, but with the Wild Card round just over a week away, the Red Sox would gladly take one of his hot stretches into October.

After posting multi-hit games Friday and Saturday, Caleb Durbin singled in the fifth and again in the ninth, extending his on-base streak to 13 games. He appeared to hit a wall earlier this month, with an ailing left pinky likely contributing to his struggles, but lately he has returned to driving the ball with authority and using the entire field.

Boston also received encouraging news on the pitching side when Tyron Guerrero returned from the injured list to pitch the eighth inning. It was his first major league appearance after missing several weeks with shoulder inflammation and then having his recovery slowed by a back strain.

Guerrero faced three batters and struck out two and his return could prove significant for a bullpen already without Justin Slaten for the remainder of the season. Behind Garrett Whitlock, Guerrero gives Tracy another power right-hander capable of handling higher-leverage situations in October.

As the sixth inning was about to begin, a prerecorded announcement suddenly informed the crowd of a fire emergency inside Tropicana Field and instructed everyone to evacuate. The umpires gathered on the field, seemingly unsure how to proceed, before consulting with ballpark officials.

After roughly five minutes of confusion, play resumed without incident. The public-address system remained silent for several innings afterward.

The victory capped an 8-1 homestand for the Rays, who recorded three walk-off wins while taking consecutive series from the Astros, A’s and Red Sox. Tampa Bay also secured a 7-6 victory in the season series and has now won the season series against Boston in seven of the last eight years.

The Rays can clinch their first AL East title since 2021 as soon as Tuesday. A win in either game of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Yankee Stadium would secure the division by giving Tampa Bay the season-series tiebreaker over New York.

For Boston, attention can finally shift completely toward October.

The Red Sox have reached the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2017-18. It’s the franchise’s 13th postseason appearance in 24 seasons dating to 2003, but just its third since 2021. Boston has won only one multi-game postseason series since capturing the 2018 World Series, the 2021 ALDS against Tampa Bay.

The Red Sox appear increasingly likely to visit the Yankees for a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Sept. 29 in the Bronx.

Before then, there’s one final week to get healthy, set the postseason roster and build some momentum.

Boston will have Monday off before returning to Fenway Park for its final homestand of the regular season. The Red Sox open a series against the Guardians on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m., with left-hander Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.02 ERA) scheduled to face Cleveland lefty Parker Messick (12-9, 3.57).