Red Sox Erase 3-Run Deficit To Avoid Tampa Bay Sweep
BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit an opposite-field, go-ahead RBI single inside the third-base bag with two outs in the eighth inning against Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory Sunday that snapped the Rays' eight-game winning streak.
J.D. Martinez had four singles and drove in two runs for the Red Sox, but misplayed a fly ball into a double that put runners on second and third in the eighth before Craig Kimbrel struck out Brad Miller to end the inning.
Denard Span hit a two-run homer and made a leaping catch in front of the Green Monster for the Rays, who had their third-longest winning streak in team history halted. Tampa Bay won nine straight in 2014 and 12 in '04.
Red Sox starter Rick Porcello gave up three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks over 7 2/3 innings. Kimbrel (1-1) got four outs for the victory, escaping a ninth-inning jam by striking out the final two batters.
Martinez led off the eighth win a single against Colome (2-3) and Jackie Bradley Jr. walked before Leon hit a bouncer inside the bag that caromed off a side wall into short left field.
Trailing 3-0, Boston rallied to tie on Martinez's two-run single and Bradley's sacrifice fly in the sixth, but they left the bases loaded when Tzu-Wei Lin flied out.
Span's homer over Boston's bullpen made it 2-0 in the third. Mallex Smith added an RBI single an inning later.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mookie Betts, who left Saturday with a tight right hamstring, was out of the lineup Sunday. Manager Alex Cora didn't seem too concerned, saying it's "day to day." ... RHP Tyler Thornburg (recovering from right shoulder surgery) starts a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday.
ANGRY WALK
Red Sox slugger Hanley Ramirez was hit on the left forearm by Matt Andriese. The slugger glared at the pitcher and appeared to say something before flipping his bat toward Boston's dugout and walking slowly to first with Rays catcher Jesus Sucre in between the pair, but nothing escalated.
ANNIVERSARY
The game marked the 32nd anniversary of Boston's Roger Clemens setting a major league record by striking out 20 against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
WARM HELLO
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash came out of the dugout in the middle of the sixth inning to say hello to a couple of fans that walked down to the first row from much further back to get his attention. Cash played on Boston's 2007 World Series-winning team.
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Jake Faria (1-1, 6.33 ERA) is slated to pitch the opener of a three-games series in Detroit on Monday. He has struggled in his two road starts, giving up 12 runs in six innings.
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez ((3-0, 3.63) looks to extend his career-best stretch of winning three consecutive starts when the Red Sox play the first of three against Kansas City at Fenway Monday.
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