Of their longshot push for a wild-card spot, the Boston Pink Sox did one thing Monday afternoon they haven’t been capable of accomplish in additional than a 12 months — win on the street in opposition to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Having snapped a 13-game shedding streak on the dome with a 7-3 win within the collection opener, Boston will attempt to clinch the three-game set Tuesday night time in its second matchup with the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Desperately needing a victory, Boston (72-66) obtained a career-high four-RBI sport from Triston Casas and a powerful begin from Brayan Bello to win for the third consecutive outing and first time within the bayside ballpark since April 22, 2022.
“I feel he’ll maintain hitting fourth on this lineup,” Boston supervisor Alex Cora mentioned after Casas produced a two-hit sport that included a 419-foot homer — his twenty third — to place Boston up for good within the sixth inning.
The Rays (83-55) began quick with three runs on three hits within the first inning, however they managed solely two extra hits over the following eight frames.
Common Tampa Bay starters Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes and Jose Siri got the time without work, however supervisor Kevin Money gave credit score to Bello for shutting down his squad. The Pink Sox right-hander gave up three runs and struck out seven in six innings.
“We had good at-bats early on, however I felt like Bello settled in,” mentioned Money, whose membership is 7-2 in opposition to the Pink Sox this 12 months. “He threw ballgame. He had a variety of late motion between the sinker and changeup going in a single path and the massive sweeping slider going within the different path. He made it powerful for us.”
The pitching matchup Tuesday night time will characteristic a pair of native Floridians, Boston’s Kutter Crawford and Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin.
A product of the lakeside city of Okeechobee, Crawford (6-7, 4.08 ERA) will seem in his twenty seventh sport and make his nineteenth begin of the 12 months.
The fitting-hander surrendered six runs and 7 hits in 2 2/3 innings and absorbed a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
Earlier than the beginning, Cora mentioned Crawford had progressed tremendously from 2022 (3-6, 5.47 in 21 video games).
“Since day one, he is been one in every of our greatest pitchers,” the supervisor mentioned. “At any time when he pitches, he offers us an opportunity to win. He is grown a lot from final 12 months.”
Crawford is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 5 appearances (two begins) in opposition to the Rays, 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two video games (one begin) this 12 months.
Eflin (13-8, 3.40 ERA) went 2-2 in August along with his greatest month-to-month ERA this season — 2.62 — however had powerful no-decisions in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins.
In these two begins, the Orlando native allowed a complete of 1 run and 9 hits in 13 1/3 innings — a 0.68 ERA.
Tied for the AL lead in victories (13) with Toronto’s Chris Bassitt and Baltimore’s Kyle Gibson, Eflin additionally has two no-decisions in his pair of profession begins in opposition to Boston to associate with a 7.00 ERA over 9 innings. Each of these outings occurred in 2020.
—Subject Degree Media
