Red Sox Earn Third Straight Win With 4-3 Victory Over Rays On Marathon Monday
By Sports XChange | Box Score
BOSTON -- Steven Wright bounced back with six innings of three-run ball and the Boston Red Sox scored three runs in the second to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Monday on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.
Only one run was earned for Wright, with the knuckleballer allowing nine hits and a walk while striking out four as Boston (8-5) took three of the four games against Tampa Bay (6-8).
Wright (1-1) served up four homers and eight runs in just 1 1/3 innings last Wednesday against Baltimore. Craig Kimbrel pitched for the fourth time in five days for his sixth save.
The Rays struck out 46 times in the series.
Andrew Benintendi was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and both Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts drove in runs for the Red Sox.
Steve Souza Jr. (2-for-4) drove in two runs and Brad Miller (1-for-4) added an RBI for Tampa Bay. Corey Dickerson and Kevin Kiermaier also had two-hit days for the Rays, who have lost seven of their last eight against Boston and six of seven games overall.
Tampa Bay lefty Blake Snell (0-2) was tagged for four runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings in his first career start at Fenway.
After giving up six runs in the first inning last week against the Baltimore Orioles, Wright allowed two runs in Monday's opening frame.
Red Sox third baseman Marco Hernandez's dropped pop up in foul territory with one out in the first proved costly as Miller's groundout to Wright drove in the Rays' first run three batters after the error.
Souza's groundout to third made it 2-0 the next at-bat. Wright has allowed nine of the Red Sox's American League-worst 15 runs in the first inning this season.
Ramirez got a run back in the Boston first on his two-out, opposite field RBI single.
Another error sparked a three-run outburst for the Red Sox as Miller dropped an easy toss for what would have been the inning-ending out at second base in the Boston second.
Benintendi followed with a two-run single and Betts tacked on a run with a hard-hit grounder to left, making it 4-2.
Souza brought Tampa Bay within one on his one-out single to left in the seventh.
The Rays also had the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh but couldn't cash in.
NOTES: Boston has won 12 of the last 17 games on Patriots Day and is 70-52 all-time on the local holiday. Tampa Bay is 3-2 in Patriots Day games in Boston. ... The Red Sox wore Patriots Day-themed jerseys with "Boston" on the front and "Boston Strong" patches. ... Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez was placed on paternity leave after the birth of his son on Easter Sunday. RHP Ben Taylor was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. LHP Brian Johnson is the "likely candidate" to replace Rodriguez as the starter Tuesday against Toronto, manager John Farrell said. ... Boston RF Mookie Betts was presented with his 2016 Silver Slugger, Gold Glove and Wilson Defensive Player of the Year awards in a pregame ceremony. ... Tampa Bay begins a three-game home series with Detroit and Boston opens a three-game trip to Toronto on Tuesday. Rays RHP Matt Andriese (0-0, 4.50 ERA) opposes Tigers RHP Michael Fulmer (1-0, 2.25 ERA). RHP Marcus Stroman (1-1, 1.76 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays.
