Final: Red Sox 11, Rays 7 - Duran hits game-changing home run, Red Sox score 7 runs in 8th inning

The Red Sox eliminate the Tampa Bay Rays winning the first game of the series 11-7.

With Garrett Crochet on the mound, Boston struggled to get an early lead. However, an offensive serge in the late innings of the game helped put give Boston the victory.

Tampa Bay came out to an early one run lead in the first inning with an RBI single from Nick Fortes. 

The Red Sox responded in the second inning with a Nathaniel Lowe RBI, but the Rays scored again in the second half of the inning to make it 2-1.

Alex Bregman tied the game again with a solo home run in the third inning, but Yandy Diaz recorded a solo shot of his own in the same inning.

Despite allowing three earned runs through three innings, Crochet found a groove in the second half of his start, blanking the Rays in three consecutive innings. Boston's ace finished his start pitching six innings, striking out nine batters, and allowing three earned runs and four hits.

The Red Sox also went scoreless during this stretch, but they turned the game around in the seventh inning with a massive two-run home run from Jarren Duran, which gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead.

Boston continued that momentum in the eighth inning collecting seven runs against Tampa Bay's bullpen. Nate Eaton, Ceddanne Rafaela, Trevor Story, Masataka Yoshida, and Lowe collected RBI's through this inning, as the Red Sox took advantage of poor fielding from the Rays.

With an 11-3 lead, Boston was able to rest their top-end bullpen arms. Zack Kelly pitched a clean 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, and Chris Murphy finished the game in the ninth. Murphy allowed four hits and a grand slam to Everson Pereira, but it wasn't enough for the Rays to pull off a miraculous comeback.

The Red Sox received a great amount of offense from the bottom of the order. Rafaela went 4/5 tonight with an RBI and an extra-base-hit, while Eaton went 2/4 with an RBI, walk, and stolen base. While the top of the order didn't receive much production, Duran and Bregman's home runs were also major reasons for this win.

Boston continues their series in Tampa Bay tomorrow at 7:05 p.m.

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WHO: Red Sox (83-70) vs Rays (75-78)
WHEN: 7:35 p.m.
WHERE: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa Bay
SERIES TO DATE: (0-0), (8-2)
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Garrett Crochet (16-5, 2.63 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen
TV/RADIO: NESN, MLB Network, WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Jarren Duran (L) LF
Trevor Story (R) SS
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Masataka Yoshida (L) DH
Romy Gonzalez (R) 2B
Nate Eaton (R) RF
Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B
Carlos Narváez (R) C
Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF

SP Garrett Crochet

RAYS

Everson Pereira (R) CF
Yandy Díaz (R) DH
Christopher Morel (R) LF
Josh Lowe (L) RF
Nick Fortes (R) C
Tristan Gray (L) 3B
Richie Palacios (L) 2B
Carson Williams (R) SS
Bob Seymour (L) 1B

SP Drew Rasmussen

WHAT'S UP

The Red Sox travel to George M. Steinbrenner Field after losing two of three games against the Athletics.

 After yesterday's afternoon loss to the Athletics, Boston is just 1½ games ahead of Cleveland for the last playoff spot. Cleveland also has a game in hand over Boston (Cleveland has 10 to Boston's nine).

Payton Tolle struck out AL Rookie of the Year front-runner Nick Kurtz with a 100 mph fastball in yesterday's relief appearance. “I saw it. I was like, ‘Oh, man, I sure hope that stays 100, doesn’t roll down to 99,’” Tolle said.