The 2019 Boston Red Sox were officially eliminated from playoff contention Friday night when the Cleveland Indians beat the Philadelphia Phillies. As for their game, the Sox took a lead and then lost it, before battling to tie it in the ninth before falling in 11 innings 5-4 on a walkoff win by the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida.
Bostons Rick Porcello and Tampas Charlie Morton went toe to toe in a scoreless game through six innings. Mitch Moreland hit a two run homer off Morton to center in the top of the seventh to make it 2-0 Sox. The Boston bullpen though then fell apart as Tampa took the lead in the home half of the seventh. Nate Lowe hit a ground ball for a force out that scored a run, while Willy Adames hit a ground rule double to right to tie it 2-2. The Rays took the lead on a wild pitch allowing Lowe to score. The hosts extended the lead to a pair in the bottom of the eighth when Ji-Man Choi doubled in a run. Emilio Pagan came on in the ninth to try to pick up the save but was greeted by a leadoff triple by Gorkys Hernandez. After Brock Holt lined out, Moreland hammered his second two run homer of the game on a line drive to left to tie the score and send it to extra innings. A pair of two out walks in the bottom of the 11th inning by Sox reliever Trevor Kelley led to the game winner. Adames singled on the first pitch he saw to left allowing pinch runner Johnny Davis to score to end it in walkoff fashion.
Porcello ended up with the no decision allowing no runs on three hits, with no walks and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Kelley (0-3) took the loss. Moreland had the big game with the two homeruns and four RBI. Xander Bogaerts also had two hits for Boston (80-73). Choi had two hits and Adames had three to pace Tampa Bay (91-63). Morton allowed two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings. Diego Castillo (4-8) picked up the win in relief.
Travis Lakins will start for Boston in what will be a bullpen game for the Sox in game two of the series Saturday evening at 6:10 p.m. Tyler Glasnow will toe the rubber for Tampa Bay. The Rays are currently tied for the second American League wild card playoff spot with the Indians.
