Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox Box Score on Sep 10, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 10, 2017

BOSTON -- Wilson Ramos hit a solo home run and had two RBIs, Boston native Alex Cobb pitched five strong innings and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-1 win against the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.

Ramos' solo blast was his seventh homer of the season and came one day after the Rays snapped their season franchise-record streak of 18 straight games with a home run.

Lucas Duda also hit a solo shot, his 12th homer of the year, and Evan Longoria drove in a run for Tampa Bay (71-73), which snapped its three-game losing streak.

Christian Vazquez drove in the only run for Boston (81-62) as the Red Sox saw their four game winning streak come to a halt.

The Red Sox won the first two games of their series with the Rays by a combined score of 18-3.

Tampa Bay entered play on Sunday 4 1/2 games back of the Minnesota Twins for the second American League wild-card spot. Boston came in with a 4 1/2-game lead atop the AL East over the second-place New York Yankees.

Minnesota and New York were still in the middle of their afternoon games when Sunday's game at Fenway ended.

Cobb (11-9) struck out five and allowed one run on four hits and three walks. Alex Colome pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his major-league-leading 43rd save.

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (9-17) took the loss after giving up two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts over five innings.

Vazquez's RBI single in the second inning gave Boston a 1-0 lead.

Boston nearly scored again later in the inning as Vazquez tagged from third on Sam Travis' one-out fly out to Rays right fielder Mallex Smith, but he was thrown out at the plate

The Red Sox challenged the out call at home, and video review showed Vazquez may have eluded catcher Wilson Ramos' tag, but the call stood after a three-minute delay to end the inning.

Tampa Bay scored two in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead after Porcello had crushed through the first four innings.

Ramos' bloop single after Brad Miller's leadoff double tied the game at 1-1. Longoria gave the Rays their first lead of the weekend four batters later with a long RBI single.

Ramos struck again in the sixth with a solo home run to straightaway center that traveled an estimated 392 feet.

Duda knocked his home run approximately 429 feet to center in the seventh.

NOTES: Boston INF/OF Eduardo Nunez (right knee contusion) was not in the lineup after a knee injury Saturday forced him out of the game. He is expected back Tuesday against the Oakland A's. ... Tampa Bay RF Steven Souza Jr. (bruised left knee) missed his second straight game after leaving Friday's contest following a collision with the right-field wall. ... Red Sox LHP David Price (left elbow inflammation) is scheduled to a throw a three-inning simulated game Wednesday. ... Rays RHP Jake Faria (left abdominal strain) made a rehab start with Single-A Hudson Valley on Sunday. ... Red Sox, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers players collected donations for the Red Cross to aid the Hurricane Irma relief effort at Fenway Park on Sunday. ... Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi (8-7, 4.58 ERA) opposes New York Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.91 ERA) on Monday (at Citi Field due to Hurricane Irma). Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-5, 4.33 ERA) counters Athletics LHP Sean Manaea (10-9, 4.33 ERA) on Tuesday.