Kelly Leaves With Injury, Rays Beat Red Sox 3-0 In 10 Innings
BOSTON -- Kevin Kiermaier, mired in a 1-for-25 slump, broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the 10th inning, keying a three-run rally and giving the Tampa Bay Rays a 3-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Desmond Jennings doubled home two unearned runs later in the 10th as the Rays (6-7) got a combined one-hitter from three pitchers. Tampa Bay won its third straight and sent the Red Sox (6-7) down to their third consecutive defeat.
Kiermaier, just 5-for-32 (.156) on the season when he came up, hit a 2-2 pitch from Matt Barnes (1-1), the sixth Boston pitcher, into the right field seats for his first homer of the season. It was the 14th home run of the season for the light-hitting Rays, who came in batting .212.
For the second straight game, Tampa Bay left-hander Drew Smyly tied his career high with 11 strikeouts. For the second straight game, he didn't win, but he played a big role in the shutout win on a chilly night. Smyly allowed Boston's only hit and walked two in eight brilliant innings, pitching out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third inning.
Erasmus Ramirez (3-0), who was being considered for a Thursday start before manager Kevin Cash decided to go Jake Odorizzi on his regular rest, worked a perfect ninth. Alex Colome finished it off with a perfect 10th, striking out two, for his and the team's second save of the season.
Tampa Bay pitchers retired the last 23 Boston batters, 17 by Smyly.
The Red Sox have scored six runs during the three-game losing streak.
Boston starter Joe Kelly left with a right shoulder impingement after facing four batters, leading to manager John Farrell employing a parade of relievers. Heath Hembree, recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket earlier in the day to help a beleaguered bullpen -- but later in games -- came on and threw 3 1/3 scoreless frames.
Robbie Ross Jr. tossed three scoreless frames before Junichi Tazawa and Craig Kimbrel pitched an inning apiece prior to Barnes' entrance. Left-hander Tommy Layne gave up Jennings' double after an error by third baseman Travis Shaw loaded the bases in the 10th.
Kelly walking two of the first three batters before rallying from a 3-0 count to strike out Corey Dickerson. A meeting then took place on the mound, and Kelly wound up walking off the field with Farrell, who was quite vocal toward the pitcher in the meeting.
Kelly, who appeared to be flexing his right shoulder on one of his pitches, threw 23 pitches in two-thirds of an inning.
The Red Sox had a major scoring chance in the third inning. Smyly walked Chris Young and Ryan Hanigan, and Jackie Bradley Jr., playing on his 26th birthday, loaded the bases with a single. However, Mookie Betts forced Young at the plate and Dustin Pedroia banged into a double play, his team-high fourth of the season.
NOTES: Rays RF Steven Souza Jr. said he visited a woman who was hospitalized after a foul ball he hit struck her during a home game last Friday. He brought her flowers and a card signed by the team. The woman has been released from the hospital. ... The Rays will start RHP Jake Odorizzi on his regular rest in Thursday's series finale, deciding not to go with RHP Erasmo Ramirez. Odorizzi will face former Tampa Bay LHP David Price. ... Rays RHP Chris Archer faces RHP Rick Porcello in Game 2 of the series Wednesday night. ... The Red Sox sent RHP Noe Ramirez to Triple-A Pawtucket, recalling RHP Heath Hembree for a rested arm. ... Boston LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) and RHP Carson Smith (elbow) continue to make progress in their rehabs at extended spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.
