FINAL: Red Sox 5, Rays 0 - Boston cruises to win as Devers becomes first Boston player to hit home runs in six consecutive games

The Red Sox defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 on Monday night at Tropicana Field in the first game of a three-game set. Rafael Devers made history tonight becoming the first Boston player to hit a home run in six consecutive games. That was the first time that has happened in Major League Baseball since Mike Trout of the Angels in September of 2022. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Taj Bradley started the game dominating as Boston hitters were 0-9 with 8 Ks. The Red Sox followed it going 5-9 with 2 HRs, double, triple and 5 runs the second time around the lineup. However, Bradley still finished with 10 Ks and no walks in 7 innings. 
• Tanner Houck was great for the Red Sox tonight going 7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 5 Ks and 1 BB. 
• The Boston fielding was impressive tonight showing off their arms and fielding. 

• Red Sox are now back at .500 with the win tonight. 
• Alex Cora said after the game Garrett Whitlock has damage in his ligament and surgery is a possibility. 

Boston will have a chance to win the series tomorrow night with first pitch at 6:50 p.m. 

_____________________________________

WHO: Red Sox (23-24) at Tampa Bay Rays (25-23)
WHEN: 6:50 p.m. 
WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg. 
SERIES TO DATE: 0-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Tanner Houck(3-5) 2.17 ERA vs RHP Taj Bradley (1-1) 2.45 ERA
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
LIVE BOX
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Duran CF
Abreu RF
O'Neill LF
Devers 3B
Wong DH
Smith 1B
Hamilton 2B
McGuire C
Rafaela SS

SP Tanner Houck
OPPONENT
Diaz 1B
Lowe RF
Paredes 3B
Lowe 2B
Aranda DH
DeLuca CF
Palacios LF
Caballero SS
Rortvedt C

SP Taj Bradley
WHAT'S UP

• The Red Sox yesterday snapped a season-high-tying 4-game losing streak (also 4/9-12).
•  Boston is 2-5 in its last 7 games and 9-11 in its last 20.
•  The Sox lost a 3-game series at STL over the weekend to fall to 7-7-1 in series play (3-4-1 on the road)...They’re 1-4-0 in their last 5 series.
• Rafael Devers has homered in a career-high 5 consecutive games, tying the Red Sox’ franchise record...He’s the 7th player to do so.
• He’s the 2nd player in MLB this season to homer in as many as 5 straight games (also CHC’s Michael Busch).
• The last player to homer in as many as 6 in a row was Mike Trout (7) from 9/4-12/22.
• Rafael Devers has recorded 419 career XBH, 3 shy of tying Jim Rice (422) for most in Red Sox history prior to turning 28 years old.
• Devers currently owns a 9-game hit streak, posting a 1.117 OPS with 9 runs and 9 RBI over that span (11-for-37, 3 2B, 5 HR, 2 BB)...It is the 2nd-longest active streak in the AL (NYY’s Anthony Volpe-12 games).
• BOS leads MLB in hits (13), XBH (6), SLG (.605), and OPS (1.062) by pinch-hitters.
• The Red Sox went 1-6 at Tropicana Field last season and have lost 15 of their last 16 games at the venue.
•  Boston is 5-22 in St. Petersburg since the start of 2021, going 0-7-1 in series during that span...The Sox’ last series victory at TB was in July 2019 (7/22-24).
•  The Sox are 28-56 vs. TB since the start of 2019, their most losses to any opponent in that span.
•   BOS is 1-6 vs. AL East teams (0-3 vs. BAL, 1-3 vs. TB).                    
• The Red Sox are in a stretch during which they’ll play divisional opponents in 10 of their 16 games from 5/13- 29, and 22 of their 50 games (44.0%) from 5/13-7/7.                                        
  The Red Sox have posted an AL-leading 2.76 road ERA... They rank 2nd among AL teams in road OBP (.325) and OPS (.753), and 3rd in AVG (.255) and SLG (.428).   
•  The Sox have lost 4 consecutive road series (at CLE, MIN,ATL, STL) after going 3-0-1 in their first 4 of the season.