Betts, Moreland Homer In 8th, Red Sox Beat Rays 6-4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mookie Betts and Mitch Moreland hit back-to-back homers for the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning and the struggling Boston Red Sox beat the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays 6-4 on Friday night.
With the game tied at 4, Betts hit a leadoff shot off Diego Castillo (0-2) and Moreland connected three pitches later.
Christian Vazquez also homered and Brandon Workman (1-1) went 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the Red Sox, who are 7-13 and trail the AL East-leading Rays by seven games. Ryan Brasier worked the ninth to pick up his fourth save.
The Rays are the last team in the majors to have consecutive losses this season. Castillo was also the loser in a 6-5, 11-inning loss to Baltimore on Thursday night.
After 20 games last season, the eventual World Series champion Red Sox (17-3) were 10 games up on Tampa Bay (7-13).
Daniel Robertson, mired in an 0 for 21 slide, got the Rays even at 4-all with a two-run double during the sixth. The inning was setup when Boston third baseman Rafael Devers misplayed what looked a double-play grounder from Avisail Garcia with one on and no outs.
Devers had a run-scoring double in the fifth for Boston's first hit before Vazquez put Boston ahead 3-2 on his two-run shot to center.
Vazquez has three homers and eight RBIs in his last five games.
Betts, hitless in his previous 12 at-bats, doubled in the sixth and scored as the Red Sox grabbed a 4-2 lead when J.D. Martinez extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single.
Martinez has a hit in 19 of 20 games this season.
Brandon Lowe hit his fifth homer in the last nine games, a solo drive that just cleared the fence at the 322-foot mark down the right-field line in the second before Garcia's third-inning RBI triple as the Rays went up 2-0.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia was examined by doctors Thursday and it was determined that his latest left knee injury is not serious. "We're just going to let it calm down for a few days and then it should be all right," Pedroia said. He was hurt in Boston's game Wednesday night and went on the 10-day IL on Thursday.
Rays: Ace Blake Snell (fractured right fourth toe) will have a bullpen session Saturday. "He continues to heal really quickly, which we're very encouraged about," manager Kevin Cash. ... C Mike Zunino went on the paternity list.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Boston GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Alex Cora presented Rays LHP Jalen Beeks with his 2018 World Series ring. Beeks appeared in two games last season with the Red Sox before being traded to Tampa Bay July 25 for RHP Nathan Eovaldi.
UP NEXT
Red Sox RHP Rick Porcello (0-3, 11.12 ERA) and Rays RHP Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.18 ERA) are Saturday night's starters. Porcello is 8-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 15 road starts against Tampa Bay.
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