FINAL: Red Sox 5, Rays 2 - Duran clutch hitting and base running clinches series for Boston

The Red Sox defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field to clinch the three-game series. This is the first series Boston has won  at Tropicana Field since 2019. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Jarren Duran tied the game at two with a home run to dead center field. 

• Wilyer Abreu had the go-ahead hit with an RBI single in the 8th inning scoring Ceddanne Rafaela to make it 3-2 Boston.

• The Red Sox had aggressive base running with Rafael Devers stealing second allowing Duran to score from third. 
• Devers now has an 11-game hitting streak. 
• Cooper Criswell went 5.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 6 Ks and 1 BB. 

The Red Sox will have a chance to sweep the Rays tomorrow night at 6:50 p.m. 

_____________________________________

WHO: Red Sox (24-24) at Tampa Bay Rays (25-24)
WHEN: 6:50 p.m. 
WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg. 
SERIES TO DATE: 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Cooper Criswell (2-1) 2.76 ERA vs RHP Zack Littell (2-2) 3.44 ERA
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
LIVE BOX
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Duran LF
Abreu RF
O'Neill DH
Devers 3B
Smith 1B
Hamilton SS
McGuire C
Grissom 2B
Rafaela CF

SP Cooper Criswell
OPPONENT
Lowe DH
Arozarena LF
Lowe 2B
Paredes 3B
Aranda 1B
Rosario SS
Palacios RF
Siri CF
Jackson C

SP Zack Littell 
WHAT'S UP

• The Red Sox have won back-to-back games since snapping a 4-game losing streak.
•  Boston is 5-5 in its last 10 games and 15-15 in its last 30.
•  The Sox will be off on Thursday before starting a 3-game homestand (vs. MIL), followed by a 3-game road trip (at BAL).
•  Rafael Devers has homered in 6 consecutive games, the longest such streak in Red Sox history.
• Prior to Devers, the last player to homer in as many as 6 in a row was Mike Trout (7) from 9/4-12/22.
•  Devers has recorded 420 career XBH, 2 shy of tying Jim Rice (422) for most in Red Sox history prior to turning 28 years old.                   
•  Devers currently owns a 10-game hit streak, posting a 1.131 OPS with 10 R and 11 RBI over the span (12- for-41, 3 2B, 6 HR, 2 BB)...It is the 2nd-longest active streak in the AL (NYY’s Anthony Volpe-13 games).                                        
• Only 9 players ever have homered in 7 straight games…The MLB record is 8 games, done 3 times.
• Last night was the 7th time Boston has shut out an opponent, tied with ATL for most in MLB.
• The Red Sox rank 2nd in MLB with a 2.97 ERA (142 ER/430.1 IP)...Their last seasons with an ERA that low through 48 games were from 1915-1918, when they won the World Series 3 times in 4 years.
• Sox starting pitchers lead the AL in ERA (2.63), WHIP (1.05), and opponent AVG (.217).
• Jarren Duran leads MLB with 8 triples. 23 of the other 29 MLB teams have 8 triples or fewer.
• Prior to Duran, it had been 111 years since a Red Sox player recorded as many as 8 triples in the team’s first 48 games (Tris Speaker, 9 in 1913).
• Prior to Duran, the last MLB player with 8 triples in their team’s first 48 games was Steve Finley with SF in 2006.
• With a win tonight or tomorrow night, the Red Sox would improve to 8-7-1 in series play.
• 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.
• BOS’s last series victory at TB was in July 2019 (7/22-24). 
•  Among AL teams, the Sox rank top 5 in doubles (2nd, 90), triples (2nd, 13), XBH (2nd, 155), OBP (4th, .314), SLG (4th, .410), OPS (4th, .724), H (5th, 402), and stolen bases (5th, 37).                   
•  Boston has homered in a season-high 8 consecutive games and 9 of its last 10 (14 total HR), compared to 3 of the previous 13 (5 HR).With RISP in their last 2 games, the Red Sox are 8-for-23 (.348 AVG) with 5 XBH (2 2B, 3B, 2 HR) and 11 RBI.           
•  Red Sox outfielders lead MLB with 17 defensive runs saved...Their 8 outfield assists are tied for2nd most in the AL and 7th in MLB.                   
•  Jarren Duran’s 12 DRS are 2nd most among all outfielders (TOR’s Daulton Varsho-13)...His 4 outfieldassists rank T-2nd in the AL and T-4th in MLB.Wilyer Abreu’s 7 DRS in right field lead MLB.