Rays Lose No-Hitter in Extras, Salvage Win on Kiermaier’s Walk-Off Homer
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier capped Tampa Bay’s three-run 10th inning with a game-ending homer, and the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Saturday night after losing their bid for a combined no-hitter in the top half of the final frame.
Matt Wisler (1-0) surrendered Boston’s first hit when Bobby Dalbec opened the 10th with a triple, driving in automatic runner Jackie Bradley Jr. for a 1-0 lead. Christian Vázquez followed with a sacrifice fly to left.
Major League Baseball rules say it doesn’t count as a no-hitter until the game ends and a team finishes with no hits.
Hansel Robles (1-1) then came in for Boston and struck out the first two Tampa Bay batters in the bottom half. But automatic runner Randy Arozarena advanced on a balk and scored when Taylor Walls reached on a throwing error by second baseman Trevor Story.
After Walls swiped second, Kiermaier drove Robles’ 3-1 pitch deep to right for his first homer of the season.
Boston finished with two hits. Tampa Bay had three.
Brandon Lowe’s leadoff double in the fourth off Boston starter Garrett Whitlock was the only hit of the game before Brett Phillips’ two-out single in the eighth off Kutter Crawford. Mike Zunino followed with a 400-foot fly ball hauled in by Kiké Hernández at the wall in center.
Whitlock, who made 46 relief appearances for Boston last season, struck out seven in four innings in his first major league start.
J.P. Feyereisen pitched two perfect innings as Tampa Bay’s opener, striking out two. Javy Guerra then got two outs before Jeffrey Springs pitched two innings. Jason Adam got four outs, Ryan Thompson pitched the seventh and Andrew Kittredge worked the eighth and ninth.
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