Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score on Aug 09, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 9, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox won their eighth consecutive game Wednesday night, pulling away to an 8-2 victory over the slumping Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Boston (65-49) used a five-run fifth inning to break open a close game, with three runs scoring on wild pitches and passed balls from the Tampa Bay bullpen. The Rays (58-57) have lost four of their last five, scoring a total of four runs in that span as they try to stay in the American League wild-card chase.

Boston has baseball's longest active win streak and its longest since September 2016, when it won 11 straight.

Red Sox starter Rick Porcello (6-14) took a shutout into the sixth inning before giving up home runs there to Adeiny Hechavarria -- his second -- and Brad Miller, his fifth. That pulled the Rays closer at 6-2, but more troubles in the eighth led to two additional runs, first on a throwing error by first baseman Trevor Plouffe, then on a wild pitch by reliever Sergio Romo.

Porcello wound up yielding two runs on four hits and two walks in six-plus innings. He struck out seven.

Three Boston relievers each pitched a perfect inning, retiring every batter they faced for the final nine outs.

The trouble started in the fifth, when Rays starter Jake Odorizzi (6-5) took a line drive off his right ankle and had to leave the game. X-rays came back negative, and he is listed as day-to-day with a right foot contusion, further complicating the Rays' starting rotation in the immediate future.

Boston's two-game sweep gives them a 7-6 edge in the season series with six games remaining in September.

The Red Sox have Thursday off before going to New York for a three-game series with the Yankees. The Rays play host to the Cleveland Indians for four games starting Thursday.

The Rays' offensive woes continued Wednesday after being shut out in three of their previous four games and scoring just two runs in a span of 42 innings.

Odorizzi kept the Rays within a run until the fifth inning, allowing only a single run in the third.

An infield single by Eduardo Nunez started a five-run inning, with reliever Dan Jennings struggling after taking over for the injured Odorizzi. He gave up a single to Andrew Benintendi -- his third in five innings -- and then an RBI single to Mookie Betts to extend the lead to 2-0. Twice the Rays intentionally walked a batter, only to let two runners in, first with a wild pitch, then a passed ball for a 4-0 score.

The Rays got Hanley Ramirez caught between third and home for a second out, but Sandy Leon came through with a two-run, two-out single to make it 6-0.

Porcello held the Rays to one hit in the first five innings -- a first-inning double off the wall in left field from Miller.

NOTES: The Rays had a late lineup scratch, with 1B Lucas Duda pulled with a left thumb bruise. He was replaced by Trevor Plouffe, who was involved in two errors on throws to first, one credited to him, the other to the pitcher. ... To make room for RHP Jake Odorizzi, the Rays optioned RHP Ryne Stanek to Triple-A Durham before the game. Stanek has a 6.39 ERA in 13 appearances this season. With Odorizzi leaving with a foot injury, the Rays could make another bullpen move Thursday. ... The Rays had two runs in four games coming into Wednesday, matching their lowest-scoring four-game stretch in team history. Tampa Bay has scored four runs in its last 47 innings, with three of the four coming on home runs.