Ortiz Homers, Red Sox Beat Rays 6-5
BOSTON -- Bryce Brentz, in the game because of an injury suffered by Brock Holt in the fourth inning, snapped a 4-4 tie with a two-out RBI single in the sixth and the Boston Red Sox pulled out a 6-5 victory over the floundering Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
Newcomer Aaron Hill drove in two runs in his first game with his new team and David Ortiz hit his 21st homer of the season as the Red Sox, 5-2 on their current homestand, handed the Rays their 20th loss in the last 23 games.
Brentz's hit made a loser of Chris Archer (4-12), who became the first 12-game loser in the major leagues while falling to 1-9 lifetime against the Red Sox. Brentz added a single in the eighth before Hill singled in an insurance run.
Koji Uehara, a surprise closer, got the first two outs in the ninth before Evan Longoria ripped a home run -- his 19th of the year and his fourth hit of the game. Uehara then retired Logan Morrison on a long fly to center for his third save of the season.
Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan, making his second start since coming back from Pawtucket, allowed all four Tampa Bay runs in five innings. Robbie Ross Jr. (1-1) pitched a scoreless sixth, Heath Hembree did the same in the seventh and Matt Barnes followed suit in the eighth.
Logan Forsythe hit a solo homer and stole a base and Nick Franklin had two hits, an RBI and two steals for the last-place Rays.
After Holt left the game with a sprained left ankle, Hanley Ramirez exited in the eighth with left shin contusion after fouling a ball off his leg. He finished his at-bat, a strikeout, and was replaced by Travis Shaw, who didn't start because he fouled a ball off his left foot on Wednesday night.
Holt left the game with a left ankle sprain after sliding into second base in the fourth.
Holt, who recently returned from a six-week absence with a concussion, stole second but caught his foot on the bag as he continued his slide, his left bending under him. He was able to walk off the field but was clearly favoring the leg. X-rays were negative and he will be re-evaluated Saturday.
The Red Sox scored twice in the first and could have had more.
Mookie Betts walked and stole second. He took third on a Dustin Pedroia single and scored on Xander Bogaerts' single. After Ortiz popped out, Hanley Ramirez walked to load the bases. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a sacrifice fly and, with runners on first and third, Ramirez broke for second and catcher Hank Conger nailed Bogaerts off third.
Bogaerts got into a rundown and was called safe by third base umpire Greg Gibson diving back to third. The Rays challenged and the call was overturned.
With two outs in the second, Corey Dickerson doubled and scored on Franklin's single. Forsythe then tied the score with his one-out homer in the third and Ortiz un-tied it with his leadoff blast to open the Boston fourth. It was Ortiz's 52nd homer in his last 172 games dating to last year.
Hill's two-out RBI single, after Holt was injured, made it 4-2. But Brad Miller's sacrifice fly and Longoria's single tied the score again.
NOTES: A day after acquiring 3B Aaron Hill from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Red Sox added utility man Michael Martinez from the Indians for cash considerations and designated INF Sean Coyle for assignment. ... Al Horford, introduced by the Celtics at a morning press conference after signing a $113 million contract with the team, threw out the first pitch. ... Both teams had players -- Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria and Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia -- who came up short in the fan vote for the final spot on the American League All-Star team. ... RHP Rick Porcello, 7-0 in eight starts at Fenway Park this season, faces LHP Matt Moore in Saturday's second game of the series. ... RHP Alex Colome, the Ray's lone All-Star, will ride with Boston's six All-Stars on a chartered flight to San Diego for the game. ... The Rays signed RHP Casey Coleman to a Triple-A deal. ... Boston 2B Yoan Moncada was rated the No. 1 major league prospect at midseason, while LF Andrew Benintendi was No. 9. SS Willy Adames, 23rd, was the top Rays player.
