The Boston Red Sox pounded out 17 hits and rallied for a 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Mitch Moreland ripped a two run single to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead in the seventh inning. Christian Vazquez drove home an insurance run in the eighth inning.
Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Vazquez had three hits each. Hanley Ramirez, Chris Young, and Moreland recorded two hits each.
Moreland had three RBI and is now hitting .356 overall. Vazquez is hitting 8-12 (.667) so far this season. Pablo Sandoval hit a big two run hone run that evened the score at four.
Drew Pomeranz struck out 10 in 4.1 innings, but also allowed five runs. Joe Kelly (2-0), Matt Barnes, Robby Scott, and Craig Kimbrel pitched 4.2 innings of scoreless relief. Kelly pitched 2.2 innings, allowing only one hit to pick up the win. Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth to lock down the win. Kimbrel struck out two and was helped by an outstanding catch from Vazquez.
Kimbrel has converted 25 consecutive save chances. Betts hasn’t struck out in 119 straight plate appearances. The most since Juan Pierce went 147 straight plate appearance without a strike out in 2004.
Mitch Moreland continued his red hot hitting on Sunday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Sue Zeiba
