Final, Red Sox win 8-4: The Red Sox opened their four-game series against the Rays with an 8-4 win at Tropicana Field on Friday night.
Anthony Ranaudo picked up his third win of the season by allowing just three earned runs over six quality innings.
Mookie Betts hit his first career grand slam and Yoenis Cespedes collected two RBI to lead the Boston offense.
These AL East rivals will play Saturday at 7:10 p.m.
End 9th, Red Sox 8-4: Right-hander Edward Mujica relieved Burke Badenhop.
Kevin Kiermaier led off the inning with a double down the right field line.
Brandon Guyer singled up the middle to drive in Kiermaier.
Ben Zobrist struck out swinging.
Matt Joyce flied out to center.
Evan Longoria popped out to third base to end the game.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 8-3: Daniel Nava struck out swinging. Mookie Betts flied out to center.
Carlos Rivera pinch hit for Will Middlebrooks and drew a walk.
Christian Vazquez grounded out to third base to end the inning.
End 8th, Red Sox 8-3: Right-handed pitcher Burke Badenhop relieved Craig Breslow.
Evan Longoria reached on an infield single. He hit a groundball that went off of Badenhop’s leg and deflected to shortstop. Brock Holt’s throw to first wasn’t in time.
Badenhop threw a few warmup pitches to test his leg and remained in the game.
James Loney singled to left field, advancing Longoria to second base.
Yunel Escobar struck our swinging.
Ryan Hanigan struck out looking to end the inning. The Rays stranded two runners.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 8-3: Right-hander Grant Balfour relieved Cesar Ramos for Tampa Bay.
David Ortiz struck out swinging.
Yoenis Cespedes grounded out to the shortstop.
Mike Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning.
End 7th, Red Sox 8-3: Left-handed relief pitcher Craig Breslow has entered the game for Boston. Anthony Ranaudo gave up three earned runs, five hits and three walks in six innings.
Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to second base.
Brandon Guyer walked.
Ben Zobrist flied out to right field.
Matt Joyce struck out swinging to end the inning
Mid 7th, Red Sox 8-3: Daniel Nava singled to shortstop, beating the infield shift. Nava has been on base four times tonight.
Mookie Betts singled to right field, advancing Nava to second base.
Will Middlebrooks struck out swinging for out No. 2.
Nava stole third base.
Christian Vazquez drew a walk, which loaded the bases for Brock Holt, who struck out swinging.
Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.
End 6th, Red Sox 8-3: Evan Longoria flied out to deep left field.
Wil Myers reached on an infield hit. Brock Holt couldn’t field the high chopper to shortstop in time.
Yunel Escobar lined out to right field.
Ryan Hanigan flied out to left to end the inning.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 8-3: David Ortiz grounded out to second base.
Yoenis Cespedes flied out to right field.
Mike Napoli grounded out to second base to end the inning.
End 5th, Red Sox 8-3: Ryan Hanigan walked to begin the inning.
Kevin Kiermaier flied out to deep center field. Mookie Betts made a tremendous catch.
Hanigan advanced to second on a passed ball, and then scored on Brandon Guyer’s two-run homer.
Ben Zobrist grounded out to shortstop and Matt Joyce struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 8-1: Left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos entered the game in relief of Chris Archer.
Archer gave up eight runs (seven earned), nine hits and two walks in four innings.
Christian Vazquez struck out for the second time tonight.
Brock Holt struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia flied out to center.
End 4th, Red Sox 8-1: James Loney grounded out to second base.
Wil Myers went down swinging for Anthony Ranaudo’s second strikeout of the game.
Yunel Escobar flied out to left field to end the inning. Ranaudo closed the inning with seven straight batters retired.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 8-1: Mike Napoli flied out to center field.
Daniel Nava picked up his second hit of the game on a single to left field.
Mookie Betts flied out to center field.
Will Middlebrooks popped out to second base.
End 3rd, Red Sox 8-1: Anthony Ranaudo pitched a 1-2-3 inning.
Ben Zobrist flied out to right field, Matt Joyce grouded out to first and Evan Longoria flied out to center.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 8-1: Brock Holt struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to the pitcher to start the inning.
David Ortiz just missed a home run in right field. The ball hit the very top of the wall and Ortiz took a single.
Yoenis Cespedes lined out to the shortstop to conclude the inning.
End 2nd, Red Sox 8-1: James Loney and Wil Myers both flied out to right field.
Yunel Escobar singled to left field for the Rays’ first hit of the night.
Ryan Hanigan walked, advancing Escobar to second base. Escobar scored on Kevin Kiermaier’s single to center field.
Brandon Guyer struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 8-0: Brock Holt singled to center, his second hit of the game.
Dustin Pedroia lined out to right field with Matt Joyce making a sliding catch. Joyce lost the ball as he was trying to throw it back to the infield. Red Sox manager John Farrell thought about challenging the play but he did not.
David Ortiz hit into what should have been a double play. James Loney fielded the ball at first and threw to second base for the force out, then shortstop Yunel Escobar committed an error on his throw to first. Ortiz went to second base on the error.
Yoenis Cespedes doubled into the gap in deep right-center, driving in Ortiz for his second RBI of the game.
Mike Napoli drew a walk, the second of the game for Chris Archer. Daniel Nava was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Mookie Betts hit a grand slam, the first of his career. The ball was hit into the third row in left field for his third career home run.
[tweet https://twitter.com/MichaelSBerger/status/505507016866275328 align=”center”]
Will Middlebrooks singled up the middle, then Christian Vazquez struck out to end the inning.
End 1st, Red Sox 3-0: Anthony Ranaudo struck out Brandon Guyer to start the frame.
Ben Zobrist fouled out to the catcher.
Matt Joyce walked, but he was stranded when Evan Longoria flied out to center field.
Mid 1st, Red Sox 3-0: The Red Sox struck for three runs to begin the game, and were also aided by some poor Rays defense.
Brock Holt led off the game with a single, and then advanced to second base when Dustin Pedroia walked.
David Ortiz flied out to center for the first out.
Yoenis Cespedes singled to right field, driving in Holt for the first run of the game and advancing Pedroia to third base.
Mike Napoli struck out on a slider off the plate from Archer for the second out.
Daniel Nava singled to left field, scoring Pedroia from third. Cespedes moved up to second base.
Chris Archer was unable to field an infield chopper off the bat of Mookie Betts down the first base line. The mishap loaded the bases for Will Middlebrooks.
Middlebrooks hit a line drive off Archer’s glove and the ball rolled to second baseman Ben Zobrist, who fired to James Loney at first. Loney tried to scoop the ball on a one-hop and couldn’t control it. Middlebrooks was safe at first and Cespedes scored to make it 3-0. Zobrist picked up an error on the throw, the second of the inning for Tampa.
Christian Vazquez grounded out to second to end the inning.
7:15 p.m.: Follow along with NESN.com’s Red Sox-Rays live blog. Tonight’s pitching matchup is Anthony Ranaudo versus Chris Archer. Let’s take a look at the starting lineups for both teams.
Red Sox (58-75)
Brock Holt, SS
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Mookie Betts, CF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Anthony Ranaudo, RHP (2-0, 4.50 ERA)
Rays (65-69)
Desmond Jennings, CF
Ben Zobrist, 2B
Matt Joyce, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
James Loney, 1B
Wil Myers, DH
Yunel Escobar, SS
Ryan Hanigan, C
Kevin Kiermaier, RF
Chris Archer, RHP (8-6, 3.09 ERA)
