Tampa Bay Rays defeat Boston Red Sox 8-5 – MLB Update
The Tampa Bay Rays’ batting squad put in a good performance to defeat the Boston Red Sox 8-5 in an important win of the four-game series at Fenway Park in Boston on Sunday, September 18 to cut the Wild-card race to 2 games.
The Rays’ won 11 of their last 15 games while the Red Sox has lost 13 of their last 17 outings. The Rays also recorded their eighth win over the Red Sox in the last nine games and have a 12-6 lead in the season series.
Casey Kotchman, Johnny Damon joined for the led off run and then Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings each earned an RBI single to take the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning. Rays’ starter David Price made the position of his team strong with his solid
offensive pitching.
Price received a bruise on his chest after getting struck by a ball in the third inning.
"You saw it, it was a really scary moment," Rays’ manager Joe Maddon said.
Rays’ training staff immediately provided him first-aid and he carried on to complete his third. He retired the last batter before Matt Joyce scored another run to take the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning.
Price immediately permitted a single to Dustin Pedroia and then walked David Ortiz. Then Darnell McDonald doubled to deep right-centre to cut the lead to 4-2.
Price could not carry in the fifth and Jake McGee entered as first reliever and held the Red Sox scoreless in the fifth and the sixth inning. However, he gave away a single in the seventh before relieving to Cesar Ramos.
Desmond Jennings scored another run in the fifth inning when the Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia let the fastball of Tim Wakefield pass. The Red Sox had gone under great pressure that led them to make an error allowing the Rays’ batters to pile another
run in the fifth. The Rays acquired a 6-2 lead in the top of the fifth. Matt Joyce added two more RBIs and took the lead to 8-2.
Mike Aviles cut the Red Sox short to 8-5 with his three-run homer off the Rays’ relief pitcher Cesar Ramos. Joel Peralta defended with solid pitches and took his club into their 85th win of the season.
The Rays will now move forward to face the American League leader and wounded New York Yankees for a four-game matchup, starting from September 20. The Rays played hard and put in a brilliant performance to beat the powerful Red Sox. It will be interesting
to see how they can carry their winning momentum into their next match-up.
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