Corey Kluber fired 6.0 shutout innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays scored four times against Brayan Bello to spoil his MLB debut en route to a 7-1 win over the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night at Fenway Park in the rubber game of a three game series.
Tampa (45-37) struck early as Yandy Diaz slapped a one out double to left field off Bello (Bay-o) in the first inning, and would score on a Wander Franco single. Diaz in a 1-0 game in the third drew a one out walk. The Rays would then do a bunch of a damage with two outs. Ji-Man Choi singled to put runners on first and third, and Randy Arozarena followed with a two-run double to center. After a walk to Taylor Walls, Kevin Kiermaier made it 4-0 with a double to right field. The guests added on in the sixth after Bello had exited after 4.0 innings, as Josh Lowe doubled in a run and Choi drew a bases loaded walk against Hirokazu Sawamura. Boston couldn’t get anything going off Kluber, who picked up his fourth win of the season. The Sox picked up their only run in the eighth on an RBI single by JD Martinez. Arozarena added a solo homerun in the ninth, as the Rays took the last two in the series after losing game one on Monday.
Bello allowed four runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings to take the loss in his first big league action. Kluber (4-5) only allowed three hits, didn’t walk anyone, and struck out five in the Tampa Bay victory. Lowe, Diaz, and Arozarena had two hits each. Boston (45-37) is now tied with the Rays for the top wildcard spot in the American League, with the Toronto Blue Jays just 1/2 game back. The Red Sox begin a four game series with the AL East leading New York Yankees at Fenway Park Thursday night at 7:10. Josh Winckowski (3-2, 3.12 ERA) will be on the bump, to be opposed by Gerrit Cole (7-2, 2.99) for New York. Boston this season has lost all eight series with AL East teams, and are now 9-18 (.333 win percentage) against the division.
