This Time, Rays Benefit from Red Sox Miscues, Steal 3-2 Win to Take Wild Card Lead
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have had their share of blunders on the base paths and on defense this year, and it's cost them some games. The tables were turned on Tuesday night, though, when the Boston Red Sox gifted the Rays a 3-2 win at Tropicana Field.
A brilliant pitcher's duel between veterans Corey Kluber of the Rays and Chris Sale of the Red Sox turned for good right after Sale, who had missed the entire 2022 season with a rib stress fracture, left the game after pitching five scoreless innings.
The Red Sox, who had broken up Kluber's no-hitter in the fifth inning with two bloop hits and then a triple from Bobby Dalbec that fell between Randy Arozarena and Brett Phillips to take a 2-0 lead, gave it all right back in the sixth.
Harold Ramirez led off the inning with an infield single off of reliever Ryan Brasier, who had replaced Sale, and Isaac Paredes walked with one out. After Arozarena struck out, Francisco Mejia came on to pinch-hit, and when he did, Boston manager Alex Cora countered with lefty reliever Matt Strahm.
Mejia singled to center, cutting the lead to 2-1. Then Rays shortstop Taylor Walls hit a rocket right back at Strahm, and it hit him on the left wrist, and bounced toward the third base line. He picked up the ball but threw awkwardly — and wildly — to first. The throw got past Boston first baseman Franchy Cordero, and then he made a bad throw home, with Paredes and Mejia both scoring to take a 3-2 lead.
It was a true comedy of errors — on the same play.
It was the 14th time the Rays had come from behind to win this season, and the victory moved the 47-40 Rays into second half in the American League East ahead of the Red Sox. They have the lead in the AL wild-card race now, as well.
“We did a nice job of not getting down, because it was a frustrating two runs that they scored,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “And I’m sure they’re on the flip side saying similar things; it was a frustrating two that we scored.
“It did seem like Strahm was trying to do a lot, and probably not in the best headspace because he was in a lot of pain,” Cash said. "We were fortunate to score those two.''
The Rays are now 6-2 against the Red Sox this season, and have won four straight games against their bitter division rival. The Rays are 7-4 in their last 11 games and 7-1 against AL East opponents over that stretch.
Kluber, the 36-year-old right-hander, was spectacular for the Rays. He pitched six innings to get his fifth win, allowed just those two runs that probably shouldn't have happened. Neither of the bloop singles were hit hard, and the ball into the gap probably should have been caught instead of falling in between Arozarena and Phillips.
Kluber has gone six innings or more with allowing two runs or less on nine different occasions since May 16. He had seven strikeouts and just one walk, throwing 88 pitches. It's the 14th time in 17 starts that he allowed one walk or less, second in the AL (New York's Jameson Taillon has 15.)
Kluber's last start was in Fenway Park against the Red Sox. In the two games, he allowed just two runs and seven hits in 12 innings.
"Really impressive that he can do back-to-back starters against a quality offense,'' Cash said of Kluber.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Corey Kluber (28) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
Mejia stayed in the game at catcher, and that was the fifth pinch-hit RBI. He's been getting hotter at the plate, batting .298 (17-for-57) since June 18, and has 5 RBI in his last seven games after recording just one RBI in his previous 30 games.
Mejia also made a big defensive play in the seventh inning. Reliever Jalen Beeks had come on to pitch for Kluber, and he was immediately in trouble, allowing a double to Alex Verdugo and a single to Jeter Downs, putting runners at first and third with none out.
Mejia noticed Verdugo straying off the bag though, and fired a pickoff throw to third that caught Verdugo by surprise and he was called out. Beeks then got a strikeout and a pop-up to get out of the threat. Beeks pitched a perfect eighth inning and Brooks Raley got the save with a scoreless ninth.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale (41) pitched five scoreless innings against the Rays on Tuesday, allowing just three hits, (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
For the Red Sox, they wasted a brilliant start from lefty Chris Sale, who was making his 2022 debut after missing the first three-plus months with a right rib stress fracture) prior to the game after missing the first 87 games of the season.
it was his first start since last October, and he was sensational, allowing just three hits. It marked his 44th career start in which he threw at least five scoreless innings, seventh-most in the majors since 2010.
“He threw the ball well and finished well,” Cora said. “Did an outstanding job toward the end, had good velocity and command of the pitches were OK. Delivery was under control, and he gave us five innings, so that’s a good start.”
