FINAL: Tampa Bay Rays 7, Red Sox 2 - Sox Clinch Series Loss in Final Series of Season

The Red Sox (80-81) clinched a series loss against the Tampa Bay Rays (80-81), with a 7-2 defeat.

The scoring got started early for Boston, as Triston Casas hit a solo home run over the monster in the bottom of the first. They wouldn't score again until the sixth inning, where Jarren Duran would score from third on a wild pitch from Shane Baz. The Sox would only have five hits in the loss, with Trevor Story having two of them.

Kutter Crawford got his final start of the season today, where he pitched four and a third innings, allowing six runs on five hits and four walks, but he also struck out six. Greg Weissert would come in after, and he threw an inning and two thirds without allowing a run, and he struck out two. Luis Garcia came in for the seventh, where he gave up a run on three hits. Lucas Sims would replace him in the eighth, pitching just that inning and giving up just a hit. Chase Shugart came in for the ninth, where he pitched a perfect inning in seven pitches, while also striking out one.

My Player of the Game: Trevor Story - Story went 2-3 in today's game, with a double in the seventh. He also reached base on a walk.

Tomorrow's season finale will begin at 3:05 p.m.. Probable starters are Ryan Pepiot (8-7, 3.64 ERA), with the Red Sox starter currently undecided.
                                                                                                                                                              ___________________________________

WHO: Tampa Bay Rays (79-81) at Red Sox (80-80)
WHEN: 4:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: 5-6
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Shane Baz (3-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (9-15, 4.17 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN, MLB Network, WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Jarren Duran CF
Trevor Story SS
Triston Casas 1B
Tyler O’Neill LF
Mickey Gasper DH
Romy Gonzalez 3B
Wilyer Abreu RF
Danny Jansen C
Vaughn Grissom 2B

SP Kutter Crawford

OPPONENT

Yandy Diaz DH
Brandon Lowe 2B
Junior Caminero 3B
Johnathan Aranda 1B
Christopher Morel LF
Josh Lowe RF
Jose Siri CF
Ben Rortvedt C
Taylor Walls SS

SP Shane Baz

WHAT'S UP

The Red Sox today continue their final series of 2024, a 3-game set vs. TB. The Sox have lost back-to-back games after winning their previous 4...They're 10-10 in their last 20. BOS is 27-37 in 64 games since the All-Star break. Boston's 80 wins are its most since 2021 (92-70)...The club went 78-84 in both 2022 and '23. The Red Sox own a .500 record for the 24th time this season...They were at .500 following games number 2, 4, 14, 18, 20, 38, 44, 48, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 140, 148, 150, 152, 156, and 160.

Boston has posted a 2.28 ERA (21 ER/83.0 IP) in its last 9 games, allowing 3 ER or fewer in 7 of those games. The Sox rank 3rd in MLB during that span, which began 9/18, trailing only CLE (2.00) and ATL (2.03).

Today's starter, Kutter Crawford, is making his 33rd start of the season, tying Dylan Cease, George Kirby, and Logan Webb for the Major League lead. Since 2000, the only Red Sox pitchers to finish a season with a share of the Major League lead in starts were Nick Pivetta (2022), Eduardo Rodriguez (2019), and David Price (2016).

Brayan Bello (30 starts), Kutter Crawford (32) and Tanner Houck (30) are the 1st homegrown trio of Red Sox starters to make 30+ starts in a season since 1987 (Roger Clemens, Bruce Hurst, Al Nipper). It marks the 6th time the Sox have had 3 pitchers make 30+ starts in their age 28-or-younger season...The only other homegrown trio among that group was Lonborg/Monbouquette/Morehead (1965).