Final: Red Sox 9, Rays 8

The Red Sox overcame a 3-0 lead early and a threat late to edge the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-8 in a Fenway Park slugfest. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Sox and was just their third win in 11 meetings with the Rays this year.

The Sox clawed back with two runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and three -- on Xander Bogaerts' homer over everything -- in the sixth. Franchy Cordero launched his third homer in the last five games.

A three-run homer off Ryan Brasier in the eighth narrowed what had been a four-run lead to one, but Matt Barnes and Garrett Whitlock held on.

WHO: Red Sox (60-65) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (69-55)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: TB 8-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Michael Wacha (8-1, 2.28) vs. RHP J.T. Chargois (1-0, 0.00)
TV/RADIO: AppleTV; WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Pham LF
Verdugo RF
Martinez RF
Bogaerts SS
Arroyo 3B
Cordero 1B
Hernandez 2b
Plawecki C
Duran CF

RAYS

Diaz 3B
Lowe 2B
Arozarena RF
Ramirez DH
Peralta LF
Siri CF
Mejia C
Choi 1B
Walls SS

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are have lost each of the last 4 games, including each of the last 2 in extra innings. The Sox have lost a season-high 5 consecutive games twice: 5/4-8 and 7/15-24. The Sox are 4-6 in their last 10 games, 6-7 in their last 13, and 12-20 since the All-Star break. The Sox have won 3 of their last 5 series: 1-0 vs. BAL, 2-1 vs. NYY, 2-1 at PIT, 1-2 at BAL, 0-3 vs. TOR...They are coming off a series sweep vs. TOR, their 5th time being swept this season. ....The Red Sox have lost 3 of their last 4 extra-inning games after winning their previous 6...They are 7-9 in extras this season. Prior to the club’s previous 2 games, the last time the Red Sox lost consecutive games, both in extras innings, was at TB in September 2019 (9/20-21)...The last time the Sox did so at home was in June 2000 against BAL (6/27-28). ....35 of the Red Sox’ final 50 games of the season are against AL East opponents (6-7 so far)...They are 2-13-1 in series against AL East teams (14-6-4 vs. all others). 28 of the Red Sox’ 37 remaining games are against teams ahead of them in the AL East or Wild Card standings...In addition to 25 games against AL East teams, the Sox also will play 3 at MIN from 8/29-31. .... The Red Sox are 2-8 against the Rays this season, including 1-2 at Fenway Park...This is the Rays’ 2nd trip to Boston this season (also 7/4-6). The Rays have won the clubs’ season series in each of the previous 3 seasons (2019-21). Following the current 3-game series, the Red Sox and Rays will played 2 more series this season...They will play 3 games at Tropicana Field from 9/5-7 and 3 games at Fenway to finish the season from 10/3-5. ... Sox starters have thrown 5.0+ innings and allowed 3 runs or fewer in 10 of the club’s last 14 games. The Sox are 25-13 (.659) when their starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings this season...They have won 3 of the last 4 such games and 5 of the last 8. Nick Pivetta has a 3.41 ERA (13 ER/34.1 IP) in his last 6 starts, beginning 7/25, after posting a 13.50 ERA (20 ER/13.1 IP) in his previous 3. ....Michael Wacha leads Sox starters with a 2.28 ERA (21 ER/83.0 IP) and 5 scoreless starts. Among AL pitchers with at least 75.0 IP this season, Wacha ranks 6th in ERA, 12th in opponent AVG (.205), 11th in opponent SLG (.314), and 10th in opponent OPS (.578). Wacha has made 2 scoreless starts since being reinstated from the IL on 8/14: 7.0 scoreless IP on 8/14 vs. NYY, 5.2 scoreless IP on 8/20 at BAL. .... Red Sox relievers have allowed 4 ER in 16.2 IP (2.16 ERA) in the club’s last 3 games. Matt Barnes has a 1.93 ERA (2 ER/9.1 IP) in 10 outings since being reinstated from the Injured List on 8/4...Of those 10 outings, 8 have been scoreless. In 16 relief appearances this season, Garrett Whitlock is 2-1 with 5 saves and a 1.44 ERA (5 ER/31.1 IP)... Whitlock has tossed at least 2.0 innings in 9 of his 12 outings since being reinstated from the IL on 7/15. ...The Sox lead MLB in doubles this season (281) and lead the AL in XBH (407)...4 Sox hitters rank among the AL’s top 10 in doubles (see table to the right). They also rank among the top 5 in the AL in runs (5th, 558), hits (3rd, 1,100), RBI (4th, 533), AVG (3rd, .255), SLG (5th, .406), OPS (5th, .721), and total bases (4th, 1,749). .....The Red Sox have committed just 5 errors in their last 24 games (beginning 7/30), fewest in MLB during that span (next: 6 errors; MIA)...They lead the majors with a .994 fielding % in that time (884 TC).    The Sox have induced 95 double plays grounded into, tied for 3rd in the AL (KC-100, BAL-99, LAA-95).  The Red Sox have 8 players on the Injured List, 2 position players (Trevor Story, Eric Hosmer) and 6 pitchers (James Paxton, Josh Taylor, Tyler Danish, Chris Sale, Tanner Houck, Nathan Eovaldi). Trevor Story has started at 2B for Double-A Portland in each of their last 2 games...He has gone 3-for-5 with 3 runs, 1 double, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 walk, and 1 sacrifice fly. 

NOTES:

* It appears as though Trevor Story will be activated in time for the Red Sox road trip which begins Monday. He's playing his third game in Double A Portland tonight and is due to be re-evaluated Saturday at Fenway.

* Nathan Eovaldi threw a 25-pitch bullpen at Fenway Friday afternoon. He's likely to throw another bullpen in four or five days. A rehab assignment could follow.

* Cora acknowledged that he's surprised by the Red Sox' modest home run total. The Sox entered play Friday tied for 19th in MLB with 116 homers. "We expected more homers out of our lineup, but we haven't done that,'' said Cora. "We haven't been able to drive the baseball for 'X' or 'Y' reasons. Some guys are banged up, others their swings haven't been there throughout the season. That's surprising, for a team, especially here, with the pull side power that we have, that is hasn't happened.''