Boston right fielder Andrew Benintendi (16) plays toss with Jackie Bradley Jr. in between innings in an earlier game this season at Fenway Park. Benintendi had three hits and a homer Tuesday night in a Sox loss to Tampa Bay. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner
Avisail Garcia had the game winning two run double in the sixth inning, and David Price after a great start to the night was knocked out in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the Tampa Bay Rays made it six out of seven against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park this season with a come from behind 6-5 win.
Boston (59-49) got off to a good start against Tampa Bay starter Charlie Morton, who has been the ace for the Rays. Mitch Moreland hit a two out two run single in the first to make it 2-0. Tampas Austin Meadows tripled down the right field line in the third to score Matt Duffy to cut the deficit to a run. Andrew Benintendi continued to swing a red hot bat when he made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the bottom half of the third. The Rays came alive though in the fifth as Travis d’Arnaud homered over everything in left to start the inning to make it 3-2, and after Meadows struck out Garcia tied it 3-3 with a solo homer to the opposite field over the Sox bullpen in right. Michael Brosseau then singled and Nate Lowe doubled, ending the night for Price. Marcus Walden came in for relief and Eric Sogard grounded out to score Brosseau to give Tampa their first lead of the night, but did get the last out without anymore damage.
With two out and just one man on base in the bottom of the fifth, Morton was also lifted from the game by manager Kevin Cash for reliever Adam Kolarek. Benintendi took the first pitch he saw from Kolarek into the monster seats in left to put Boston back in the lead 5-4. With two outs in the sixth, Walden walked d’Arnaud and was replaced by Josh Taylor. Taylor allowed a single to Meadows before Garcia doubled to left center scoring two that ended up as the game winner. The Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth inning before Rafael Devers lined out, and then two men on and two out in their final at bat in the ninth before Christian Vazquez flied out to left to end the game.
Taylor (0-1) took the loss in relief. Price had a final line of 4.1 innings allowing four runs on nine hits, with two walks and nine strikeouts. Colten Brewer, Darwinzon Hernandez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Matt Barnes combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. Benintendi had three hits and three RBI, and Devers also had three hits, while Sam Travis added two when added as a pinch hitter for Moreland later in the game. Kolarek (4-3) allowed one run in 1.1 innings in picking up the win in relief of Morton. Mortons final line was 4.2 innings allowing four runs on seven hits, with two walks and two strikeouts. Emilio Pagan pitched the final 1.1 innings and earned his eighth save. Duffy, d’Arnaud, Meadows, Garcia, and Lowe all had two hits a piece for Tampa (61-48) who move 1.5 games ahead of Boston for the second wild card. The Sox are 5-1 this season on the road at Tampa, while just 1-6 at Fenway.
The second game of the three game set is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Wednesday night. Rick Porcello is the scheduled starter for the Red Sox.
