Manuel Margot had a fifth inning RBI single that provided the difference on Sunday night, as the Tampa Bay Rays finish off a three game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 3-2 win at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Brandon Lowe hit a line drive two-run homerun to right field off Boston starter Nick Pivetta in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. The Sox got on the board when Hunter Renfroe hit a solo homer to center field in the top of the fourth, their lone run off Rays starter Shane McClanahan. Margot drove in the game winner scoring Wander Franco that made it 3-1 in the fifth. Boston (63-44) got one back on a wild pitch with two outs in the seventh by Drew Rasmussen that scored Alex Verdugo. The guests tried to rally in the ninth inning getting a pair of two out singles by Kike Hernandez and Rafael Devers, but Mike Wisler would pick up the save when he got JD Martinez to fly out to end the game. Tampa Bay (64-42) now takes a 1.5 game lead in the American League East over the Red Sox.
Pivetta (8-5) allowed three runs on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 4.2 innings in taking the loss on the mound. Josh Taylor, Hansel Robles, and Garrett Whitlock did shut it down from there keeping Boston in the game not allowing any runs over the final 3.1 innings. Hernandez had three hits, while Devers had two in their fourth straight loss. Franco had two hits to lead Tampa Bay, while McClanahan (5-4) picked up the win allowing one run on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Rasmussen and Ryan Sherriff each got their first hold out of the Rays bullpen, with Wisler getting his first save. The Red Sox have Monday off before starting a three game series in Detroit on Tuesday night. RHP Garrett Richards (6-6, 5.15 ERA) will toe the rubber in game one, while RHP Wily Peralta (3-2, 3.64) will start for the Tigers.
