Nick Pivetta pitched 6.2 innings of no-hit baseball before being relieved on Thursday night, and Manuel Margot scored on a Matt Barnes wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. The win gives Tampa the series win and a 1/2 game lead atop the American League Eastern Division.
Boston had a good chance in the seventh inning when Hunter Renfoe led off with a double, but with one out was thrown out at home plate by Kevin Kiermaier when Christian Vazquez singled. Pivetta was lifted when he reached the 100 pitch mark in the bottom half of the seventh. Josh Taylor, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Adam Ottavino kept the game scoreless with Hernandez giving up the first hit to the Rays when Kiermaier hit a one out double in the eighth. The game winner in the ninth off Matt Barnes was all with two outs. Margot singled, stole second and went to third base on that steal when Vazquez made a bad throw that skipped into shallow centerfield. Joey Wendle was walked intentionally. With Francisco Mejia batting, a breaking ball by Barnes skipped into the dirt and away from Vazquez to allow Margot to score easily to end the game.
Vazquez had two hits to lead Boston (44-31), with Barnes (3-2) taking the pitching defeat. Pivetta walked just two and struck out eight in his outing. Tampa Bay (45-31) was held to just two hits in the win, with the victory on the mound going to J.P. Feyereisen (4-3). Michael Wacha also got a no decision and was also great allowing no runs on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in 5.0 innings. The Red Sox return home for a three game weekend series with the New York Yankees beginning Friday night. In the series opener Boston will send LHP Martin Perez (5-4, 4.32 ERA) to the bump, against RHP Domingo German (4-4, 4.17) for New York.
