Benintendi Injured, Rays Beat Red Sox 4-3 In 11 Innings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox dropped the ball on potential third outs twice on one play and the Tampa Bay Rays walked off with a 4-3 win as Kevin Kiermaier drove in Luke Maile in the 11th inning on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
With two outs and two on in the 11th, Kiermaier hit a ground ball to first base, but the throw to reliever Heath Hembree went off his glove for a fielding error. The throw home was in time to get Maile at the plate, but catcher Sandy Leon didn't hold onto the ball and the winning run scored.
The Rays had been 3-57 this season when trailing after seven innings, but they tied the score in the eighth on Evan Longoria's 30th home run of the season.
Boston (71-55) held onto its share of first place in the American League East with Toronto's loss to the Angels. Tampa Bay (53-72) was headed for its third straight loss when Longoria's home run tied the score. It was the Rays' third walkoff win this year.
The Rays got a leadoff single from Bobby Wilson in the ninth and pinch-runner Mikie Mahtook advanced to second with one out, but closer Craig Kimbrel got Kiermaier and Longoria on strikeouts looking to end the inning and strand the winning run at second base.
Neither team had a baserunner in the 10th. Brad Boxberger got three strikeouts in the 11th, the last with Mookie Betts at second after he walked and stole his 21st base of the season.
Before Longoria's 30th home run, Boston's David Ortiz got his 30th, becoming the oldest player in baseball history to reach 30 in a season. Ortiz, 40, also got to 100 RBIs with the home run, giving him 10 seasons of 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBIs, the most ever for a Red Sox player.
Boston starter Rick Porcello was five outs from being the majors' first 18-game winner but gave up a solo home run to Longoria in the eighth to tie the score. It was Longoria's 30th home run, giving him four seasons with at least 30 home runs, breaking Carlos Pena's team record of three.
Porcello threw a career-high 123 pitches but was left with a no-decision.
The Rays loaded the bases after Longoria's home run, but reliever Brad Ziegler struck out Corey Dickerson to strand all three and preserve the tie.
The Red Sox did take a potentially serious injury as rookie outfielder Andrew Benintendi had to be helped off the field after spraining his left knee as he landed badly in the seventh. He was between second and third base when a ground ball was hit to Rays shortstop Matt Duffy, who turned and tagged him to start a double play.
Benintendi landed awkwardly on his left ankle. Chris Young replaced him in left field, and Benintendi will be evaluated Thursday.
It didn't take long for the Red Sox to get to Rays starter Matt Andriese, as Dustin Pedroia led off the game with a single, stole second and with one out scored on a two-run homer by Ortiz.
Boston added a run in the third as Pedroia again walked and stole second and then scored on an RBI single by Betts for a 3-0 lead.
Porcello got out of trouble early, as the Rays had runners at second and third with one out in the second. But Porcello struck out Steven Souza and got Dickerson to ground out to first to end the threat.
In the third, the Rays got singles from Wilson and Kiermaier, and with two outs, Brad Miller came through with a two-run double to cut the lead to 3-2.
Andriese had his best outing since returning to the rotation a month ago, lasting six innings and striking out eight batters. He gave up seven hits but held the Red Sox to three runs for a quality start.
He finished emphatically. After giving up a single to Ortiz and a double to Sonny Leon to put two on with two outs in the sixth, Andriese struck out Brock Holt to end the inning, pounding his glove in excitement as he came off the mound.
NOTES: Rays INF Tim Beckham, day to day after leaving Tuesday's game with a tight hamstring, was not in the starting lineup. Matt Duffy, after a scheduled day off to nurse an Achilles tendon injury, was back at shortstop, with Brad Miller at designated hitter and Logan Morrison at first. ... While the Rays can't seem to win one-run games, after Tuesday's win, the Red Sox are 6-2 in their last eight games won by two runs or less. Boston entered the night only one game off their pace at this point in their 2004 World Series run, and two games behind where their 2013 championship team was.