Duran Has Go-Ahead Single In 9th, Red Sox Beat Rays 3-2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jarren Duran had a tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth and the COVID-19 impacted Boston Red Sox stopped the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays' nine-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.
Boston infielder Yairo Muñoz became the latest Boston player to test positive for the coronavirus. Eight Boston players and two coaches have either had a positive test or are considered close contacts since last Friday.
Rafael Devers opened the ninth with a single off Pete Fairbanks (3-5) , the sixth Rays pitcher, and went to second on Alex Verdugos one-out infield hit. After Christian Vázquez struck out, Duran made it 3-2 on his base-hit to right.
Garrett Whitlock (7-2) went two scoreless innings before Adam Ottavino worked the ninth to get his 11th save.
Rays rookie Wander Franco homered off Chris Sale, extending his on-base streak to 32 games. He is one game away from tying Hall of Famers Mel Ott (1929) and Arky Vaughn (1932) for the third-longest stretch for a player under 21.
Sale made his fourth start since returning from Tommy John surgery, allowing two runs and six hits over a season-high six innings. In addition to inducing three double plays, the lefty struck out three, walked two and hit two batters.
Vázquez homered, drove in two runs and made a nifty defensive play for the Red Sox. Boston started the day one-game up on Oakland in the second AL wildcard race.
Franco's third-inning two-run opposite-field drive to right gave the Rays a 2-1 lead.
Vázquez tied at 2 on his seventh-inning homer off Collin McHugh, who has allowed just two earned runs in his last 38 2/3 innings,
Alex Verdugo tripled when the ball got past a diving Manuel Margot in center in the second and scored on Vázquez's single.
Vázquez made a nice scoop on Devers' thrown and tagged out Joey Wendle as he tried to score on Randy Arozarena's seventh-inning grounder.
Jonathan Araúz threw out Franco when he attempted to score on Margot's grounder in the eighth.
Kyle Schwarber had a two-out single in the fifth but Vázquez was easily thrown out trying to score from second by Arozarena in right.
MOVING DAY
Red Sox: RHP Ryan Brasier (left calf) and OF Danny Santana (left groin) returned from the IL. .... INF Jack López and RHP John Schreiber had their contracts purchased from Triple-A Worcester.
Rays: RHP David Robertson and SS Taylor Walls were recalled from Triple-A Durham. Robertson struck out two during a perfect eighth in his first big league appearance since Apr. 14, 2019.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Manager Alex Cora said SS Xander Bogaerts has no COVID-19 symptoms. He was pulled from Tuesday's game in the second inning.
UP NEXT
Boston LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (10-7) and Rays LHP Shane McClanahan (9-4) are Thursday night's starters.
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