End 15th, Rays 6-5: This excruciatingly long game did not have the ending the Red Sox would have liked.
The Rays got their leadoff man on board as James Loney singled on a well-hit grounder to center field. Cole Figueroa came on to pinch run. Things only unraveled from there as Brandon Guyer laid down a perfect bunt in between Andrew Miller and Brock Holt to give the Rays first and second, nobody out.
Desmond Jennings hit a seemingly easy double-play ball back to Andrew Miller, but no one was covering the bag, and his throw sailed into center field.
Figueroa came around to score, and the Red Sox have now dropped nine in the row. This marks their longest losing streak since 2001.
Mid 15th, 5-5: The Red Sox couldn’t get anything going in the top of the 15th.
Boston went down in order as we head to the bottom of the 15th.
End 14th, 5-5: Burke Badenhop got the first two outs of the inning before John Farrell handed the reins over to Andrew Miller to face Matt Joyce.
Miller struck out Joyce and we are headed to the 15th inning. Yes, that’s correct, the 15th inning.
This is not a joke.
Mid 14th, 5-5: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Red Sox went down in order.
Cesar Ramos walked Jonny Gomes to lead off the inning, but that was all he gave up in the top of the 14th.
A.J. Pierzynski and Grady Sizemore both popped out before David Ross grounded out.
Really, this game is not ending. Not ever.
End 13th, 5-5: Are you still with us? Because we are heading to the 14th inning.
Logan Forsythe doubled to right field before Burke Badenhop intentionally walked Yunel Escobar. But Badenhop got out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play.
Mid 13th, 5-5: Cesar Ramos replaced Brad Boxberger, who tossed two scoreless innings, and he kept the game knotted at 5-5.
Daniel Nava grounded out for the first out of the inning, but Ramos did not show off his defensive skills as he handled a comebacker by the next batter, Brock Holt. Ramos rushed his throw and sent it past first base, which sent Holt to second. It is the Red Sox’s first baserunner at second since the first inning.
After Jonathan Herrera struck out looking, the Rays intentionally walked Dustin Pedroia. The move paid off because Mike Carp went down swinging.
End 12th, 5-5: Chris Capuano and Burke Badenhop combined for a scoreless 12th inning.
With the shift on, Matt Joyce got a little crafty and laid a bunt down the third-base line. But the even craftier Brock Holt was able to barehand the ball and fire it over to Mike Carp for the first out of the inning. What a play by the youngster.
Carp made a nice stretch (again) and a backhanded pick to bail out Jonathan Herrera for the second out of the inning.
John Farrell made a pitching change and brought in Burke Badenhop to face Brandon Guyer, who has been a handful today, but he sent a harmless fly ball to Daniel Nava in right field to end the inning.
Mid 12th, 5-5: I don’t want to be overdramatic, but this game might never end.
Jonny Gomes gave a ball a ride, but it hung up just enough to be corralled near the warning track for the first out of the inning. A.J. Pierzynski took first base on a one-out walk, but the Sox couldn’t move him around.
Brad Boxberger struck out Grady Sizemore and David Ross to end the inning.
We also have an update on Xander Bogaerts for you. Bogaerts has left the game because of a hamstring cramp, according to the team.
End 11th, 5-5: We are headed to the 12th inning, ladies and gentleman.
Xander Bogaerts appeared to have injured his hamstring in bottom of the 10th, and Johnathan Herrera has come on to replace him at shortstop. In addition, Chris Capuano has also entered the game.
Capuano struggled with his control early on, but he settled down as he got Ryan Hanigan to pop out to Grady Sizemore, who has slid over to center field.
Sean Rodriguez, pinch hitting for David DeJesus, stuck out and Evan Longoria grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.
Mid 11th, 5-5: Brad Boxberger sat down the Red Sox in order.
Xander Bogaerts struck out, Dustin Pedroia flied out to Matt Joyce and Mike Carp went down by way of the K, as well.
End 10th, 5-5: Koji Time was short-lived, with Edward Mujica entering the game in the bottom of the 10th.Â
After Brandon Guyer struck out, Desmond Jennings reached on an infield single that Brock Holt made a heck of a play on, but Jennings just beat out the throw. John Farrell came out to argue the call, but he opted not to challenge it.
Logan Forsythe popped out to right field for the second out of the inning, and Ross caught Jennings stealing to end the inning — or so it appeared. Farrell didn’t pull the trigger on his challenge, but Joe Madden sure did, and it paid off. The call was overruled and Jennings remained at second.
It was all for naught, however, as Yunel Escobar grounded out to Mujica on the very next pitch.
11th inning, here we come!
Mid 10th, 5-5: Grant Balfour took over on the mound and got the job done.
David Ross popped out to center field for the first out of the inning, and David Ortiz, who pinch hit for Jackie Bradley Jr., received a roaring ovation from the Boston faithful before digging in. But the cheers didn’t translate into a hit, as Big Papi hit a slow roller to the right side of the infield with the shift on.
Brock Holt got a hold of one, sending Desmond Jennings back to the wall, but the center fielder had just enough room to make the catch.
End 9th, 5-5: Koji Uehara entered the tied game in the bottom of the ninth. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
But Koji did what Koji does and he worked an easy 1-2-3 inning. Evan Longoria was called out on strikes, Matt Joyce flied out to left field and James Loney struck out to end the inning.
We are headed to bonus baseball here in Tampa Bay.
Mid 9th, 5-5: Jake McGee picked up where David Price left off.
Jonny Gomes, who was swinging for the fences, struck out to begin the inning. A.J. Pierzynski didn’t fare any better against the left-hander as he grounded out, and Grady Sizemore struck out to end the inning.
The Rays won in walk-off fashion last night, but let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself today.
End 8th, 5-5: Junichi Tazawa took over on the mound, and although it wasn’t easy, he kept the Rays from crossing the plate.
After Desmond Jennings grounded out, Logan Forsythe poked one past a diving Xander Bogaerts for a base hit. Yunel Escobar flied out to Jonny Gomes for the second out of the inning, but the Rays extended the inning when Tazawa walked Wil Myers, who was pinch-hitting for Jose Molina.
The situation looked somewhat dire, but Tazawa got out of the inning, getting David DeJesus to strike out swinging.
Mid 8th, 5-5: Xander Bogaerts gave the Red Sox their first hit since the first inning, singling on a line drive to right field to lead off the top of the 8th inning, but that’s all the offense the Red Sox could muster.
Dustin Pedroia was called out on strikes for the first out of the inning, and Mike Carp grounded into an inning-ending double play.
End 7th, 5-5: Craig Breslow buckled down in the seventh inning and kept this game deadlocked at 5-5.
Breslow entered the game for Jake Peavy, who went six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking just one batter.
Breslow hit David DeJesus to start the inning, and things got a little sketchy when Evan Longoria lined a single over the head of Dustin Pedroia.
But with men on first and second, Breslow got a huge out, striking out Matt Joyce. James Loney then flied out to left field and Breslow got out of the jam by striking out Brandon Guyer, who has done his fair share of damage today.
Mid 7th, 5-5: David Price is dealing and that’s very bad news for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox, who are still hitless since the first inning, went down in order. David Ross struck out, Jackie Bradley Jr. flied out to center field and Brock Holt struck out looking to end the inning.
Price has now retired 14 in a row.
End 6th, 5-5: Well, that was a much more pleasant inning for Jake Peavy and Co.
Logan Forsythe grounded out to Xander Bogaerts for the first out of the inning, Yunel Escobar popped out to the right side of the infield and Jose Molina struck out looking.
There was some action in the ‘pen, so that might be all we see from Mr. Peavy, who is right around the 100-pitch mark, today.
Mid 6th, 5-5: David Price only needed seven pitches in the sixth inning, and he has now retired 11 batters in a row.
Jonny Gomes popped out to James Loney in foul territory for out No. 1, A.J. Pierzynski grounded out to second base and Price retired Grady Sizemore to end the inning.
Remember how fun the first inning was? The Red Sox could use another one of those right about now.
End 5th, 5-5: The Rays have slowly but surely chipped away at the Red Sox’s lead, and now we’re looking at a tie ballgame.
Jose Molina struck out to give Jake Peavy his third strikeout of the day to start the inning, but the Rays wouldn’t go quietly.
David DeJesus delivered a soft line drive to left field, and Evan Longoria singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Matt Joyce then gave the Rays their third single in a row, hitting a sharp line drive to center field to bring in DeJesus.
James Loney skied a routine fly ball to left field for the second out of the inning, but the next man up, Brandon Guyer, tied this game at 5-5. Guyer drilled a two-out double to left field that brought in two runs as the Sox were slow to get the ball in.
Peavy struck out Desmond Jennings to end the inning.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 5-2: David Price has settled in. The Red Sox haven’t recorded a hit since David Ross’ single in the first inning.
Xander Bogaerts grounded out to second base for out No. 1 of the inning, Dustin Pedroia went down swinging and Mike Carp wasn’t happy about any pitches during his at-bat, but his comments fell on deaf ears.
Carp struck out to end the very quick inning for the Sox.
End 4th, Red Sox 5-2: The Rays got a run back here in the fourth inning.
After James Loney grounded out, the Rays made some noise.
Brandon Guyer roped a line drive over the head of Brock Holt, and he was thinking two right out of the box. Guyer slid into second second in plenty of time for the one-out double. Logan Forsythe then saw how fun it was to go over the head of Holt, and he thought he’d give it a drive. Forsythe, who drove in the Rays’ first run, sent a chopper that went just off the tip of Holt’s glove, and Guyer came around to give the Rays their second run of the day.
Yunel Escobar gave the ball a ride to deep left center, but Jackie Bradley Jr. made the grab on the warning track for the final out of the inning.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 5-1: It’s a good thing the Red Sox had a big first inning, because they’ve been relatively quiet ever since.
David Ross lined out softly to Yunel Escobar for the first out of the inning, Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded out and Brock Holt flied out to right field to wrap up the 1-2-3 inning.
End 3rd, Red Sox 5-1: Jake Peavy is continuing to shut down the top of the Rays lineup.
For the second time today, David DeJesus went down by way of the K. Evan Longoria grounded out to Xander Bogaerts and Peavy then got some help from his buddy Brock Holt for the last out of the inning.
Matt Joyce hit a popup in foul territory, and Holt had to show off his athleticism to haul in the catch. After overrunning the ball, the young third baseman made a nice over the shoulder grab to put Joyce away.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 5-1: After a rocky first inning, David Price is finding his groove.
Mike Carp grounded out to lead off the inning before Price walked Jonny Gomes. Price had walked only six batters all season over 69 1/3 innings, but he’s already given up two free passes to the Sox today.
A.J. Pierzynski followed up with a chopper to shortstop, and Yunel Escobar only had time to get Gomes out at second. Price struck out Grady Sizemore to end the inning.
End 2nd, Red Sox 5-1: The Rays got on the board here in the second, but Jake Peavy worked his way out of a couple of jams to limit the damage.
James Loney sent a one-hop ground ball to Dustin Pedroia, which he handled easily for the first out of the inning.
But the Rays began to threaten when Brandon Guyer gave Tampa Bay its first baserunner of the game as he hit a sharp ground ball up the middle. Desmond Jennings then gave the Rays some first and third action, hitting a bloop single over the head of Dustin Pedroia, and Logan Forsythe did his job, bringing in Guyer on a sac fly to right field.
One run was all the Rays would get, however, with Peavy buckling down and getting Jose Molina to fly out softly to right field to end the inning.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 5-0: David Price looked much more David Price-esque in the second inning.
The Rays ace settled down as he recorded his first strike out of the day, getting Brock Holt to go down looking. Xander Bogaerts flied out to center field, and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to Evan Longoria to end the inning.
End 1st, Red Sox 5-0: Jake Peavy enjoyed a nice 1-2-3 inning to start off the ballgame.
David DeJesus struck out, Evan Longoria grounded out to Xander Bogaerts and Matt Joyce grounded out to Dustin Pedroia to end the inning.
Mid 1st, Red Sox 5-0: The Red Sox bats have life!
Brock Holt extended his hitting streak to five games as he dropped a blooper into right field for a leadoff base hit. Xander Bogaerts then roped a ground ball down the third base line, and Evan Longoria’s throw to second was off the mark. Price walked Dustin Pedroia to load the bases with no one out.
Mike Carp — in his first time facing Price in his career — put up a battle before getting drilled in the arm to bring in Holt. But, hey, the Red Sox will take runs any way they can get them these days.
Jonny Gomes’ sacrifice fly brought in Bogaerts, but it was A.J. Pierzynski who really did some damage in the first. The Red Sox catcher crushed his fourth home run of the season, this one of the three-run variety, to help Boston take a 5-0 lead.
Grady Sizemore grounded out, and Jackie Bradley Jr. popped out to end the inning.
4:10 p.m.: David Price delivers a first-pitch strike, and we are underway at the Trop.
3:00 p.m.: The Red Sox will play the second game of their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon as Boston looks to end its eight-game losing streak.
Earning a win won’t be easy against Rays ace David Price, who’s among the best starting pitchers in baseball. Price’s last start was a loss to the Los Angeles Angels in which he gave up five earned runs and 11 hits in 6 and 2/3 innings pitched. He has not faced the Red Sox this season, and went 2-2 against the defending World Series champions last season.
Boston will send Jake Peavy to the mound for his 10th start of the season. Red Sox manager John Farrell shouldn’t have to go to his bullpen too early Saturday because Peavy has pitched six or more innings in seven of his nine starts. With that said, he’s given up 11 earned runs in his last two starts combined.
As for the Boston lineup, David Ortiz and Mike Napoli will both get a day off. A.J. Pierzynski will take Ortiz’s spot at designated hitter, which allows David Ross to catch Peavy. Mike Carp will play first base in place of Napoli.
First pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. Check back to this blog for play-by-play, analysis and score updates.
Here are the lineups for both teams:
Boston Red Sox (20-27)
Brock Holt, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Mike Carp, 1B
Jonny Gomes, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, DH
Grady Sizemore, LF
David Ross, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Jake Peavy, RHP (1-2, 4.33 ERA)
Tampa Bay Rays (21-28)
David DeJesus, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
Matt Joyce, LF
James Loney, 1B
Brandon Guyer, LF
Desmond Jennings, CF
Logan Forsythe, 2B
Yunel Escobar, SS
Jose Molina, C
David Price, LHP (4-4, 4.28)
