The Red Sox’s offense produced only one hit — Will Middlebrooks’ fourth-inning single — against Jake Odorizzi and Co. The Red Sox and Rays have split the first two games of the series.
Odorizzi was superb. He tossed seven shutout innings in which he allowed just the one hit while striking out seven. Odorizzi walked three, but all three free passes came in the seventh as the right-hander battled fatigue.
Allen Webster was shaky for the second straight start. He allowed six earned runs on five hits and three walks over four-plus innings.
Dustin Pedroia left the game in the second inning with an apparent head injury after getting elbowed by Logan Forsythe on a play at second base. Stick around for more details on that.
The Red Sox and Rays will play their third of four games Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m.
End 8th, Rays 7-0: Tommy Layne overcame a hit batter in the eighth inning.
Four Rays hitters have been hit in the game. Layne hit Ryan Hanigan on the foot with an 0-2 curveball that he pulled inside.
Layne retired Kevin Kiermaier, Ben Zobrist and Wil Myers in order after allowing Hanigan to reach.
The Red Sox’s offense has produced just one hit through eight innings. David Ortiz, Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Nava are due up against Kirby Yates in the ninth inning.
Mid 8th, Rays 7-0: Jeff Beliveau rolled through the eighth inning without any issues.
David Ross and Brock Holt both grounded out. Will Middlebrooks flied out to center field.
The book is closed on Jake Odorizzi’s night. Odorizzi was excellent in his seven shutout innings. He allowed only one hit, struck out seven and walked three.
End 7th, Rays 7-0: Alex Wilson hit Brandon Guyer with two outs but otherwise cruised in the seventh inning.
Before you get the wrong idea, just know that Wilson’s pitch that hit Guyer almost was a strike. It clipped Guyer on the back elbow.
Wilson, who recorded a couple of fly ball outs to begin the inning, ended the inning with a strikeout of Logan Forsythe.
Mid 7th, Rays 7-0: Fatigue started to settle in for Jake Odorizzi in the seventh inning, although he managed to complete the frame.
Odorizzi issued three straight two-out walks. The count ran full in each.
Action began stirring in the Rays’ bullpen, but Joe Maddon stuck with his starter with the bases loaded. Odorizzi rewarded him, escaping the jam unscathed.
Xander Bogaerts popped out to end the inning.
End 6th, Rays 7-0: Alex Wilson tossed a scoreless sixth inning.
The inning started in unfortunate fashion for the Red Sox, as Ben Zobrist reached on a strikeout. Wilson’s curveball scooted away from catcher David Ross, allowing Zobrist to race down to first base.
Zobrist wasn’t on base long. Wil Myers grounded into a double play.
Matt Joyce struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mid 6th, Rays 7-0: Jake Odorizzi continues to roll.
Odorizzi struck out two in another clean inning. He has six strikeouts in six innings of one-hit ball.
David Ross and Brock Holt struck out in the sixth.
End 5th, Rays 7-0: It’s all Rays at The Trop.
The Rays opened things up with a three-run fifth inning. Allen Webster was knocked from the game in the process.
Matt Joyce walked to begin the inning and Evan Longoria reached on a high chopper to third base. That’s when John Farrell took the ball from Webster and handed it to Alex Wilson.
Brandon Guyer dropped down a bunt with one out. David Ross raced out from behind the plate and fired an errant throw up the right field line. Joyce and Longoria both scored on what was ruled a bunt single for Guyer and an error on Ross.
Logan Forsythe knocked in Guyer with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Mid 5th, Rays 4-0: Jake Odorizzi has allowed only one hit through the first five innings.
Odorizzi handled Allen Craig, Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts in order in the fifth.
Betts and Bogaerts scattered a couple of flyouts — center fielder Kevin Kiermaier made a very nice play on Betts’ — and Craig struck out.
End 4th, Rays 4-0: Umpire reviews ruled the bottom of the fourth.
Brandon Guyer led off with a ground ball to short. Xander Bogaerts’ throw sailed high and brought Allen Craig off the bag. Craig swiped his tag down, apparently getting Guyer on the back side.
The Rays challenged the play, contesting that Craig missed the tag. The initial call was upheld, though.
The Rays still managed to do some damage.
Logan Forsythe and Ryan Hanigan delivered back-to-back singles. Kevin Kiermaier then got plunked on the hand. The umpires reviewed the play to make sure the ball struck Kiermaier and not the bat. It was upheld.
Ben Zobrist hit a chopper to the left side that allowed Forsythe to score from third base.
Mid 4th, Rays 3-0: David Ortiz’s double play put a damper on the Red Sox’s promising start to the fourth inning.
Will Middlebrooks led off with a single into center field. Middlebrooks, of course, entered the game in the second inning with Dustin Pedroia exiting with an apparent head injury.
Ortiz grounded to second base, where Logan Forsythe started a 4-6-3 double play.
Yoenis Cespedes reached on a hot shot that kicked away from Evan Longoria, who was charged with an error.
Daniel Nava couldn’t do any two-out damage. He flied out to center field.
End 3rd, Rays 3-0: Allen Webster rebounded nicely in the third inning. He also didn’t retaliate for Dustin Pedroia being elbowed.
Matt Joyce and Evan Longoria tested the right side of Boston’s infield. Joyce grounded to Allen Craig at first base. Longoria grounded to Brock Holt, who shifted to second base upon Pedroia’s departure.
Mookie Betts made a running grab in left-center field to end the inning. James Loney threatened to shoot the gap.
Mid 3rd, Rays 3-0: The Red Sox’s offense had no response in the third.
Xander Bogaerts, David Ross and Brock Holt went down consecutively against Jake Odorizzi.
Bogaerts popped out to first baseman James Loney in his first at-bat off the seven-day concussion disabled list.
Ross struck out and Holt popped out to third baseman Evan Longoria in foul territory along the left field line.
End 2nd, Rays 3-0: Allen Webster crumbled in the second inning, though the big story was Dustin Pedroia leaving the game after taking an elbow to the side of the head.
James Loney gave the Rays a 1-0 lead with an RBI double into the right field corner. Evan Longoria was hit by a fastball that ran inside to begin the inning.
Brandon Guyer singled and Logan Forsythe walked to load the bases for Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan drilled a fly ball to deep center field that plated Loney from third base.
Forsythe tagged up and took second base on Hanigan’s sacrifice fly. As he dived head-first into second, Forsythe lifted his right elbow and smoked Pedroia in the temple. It was a strange play — and one that could get the Red Sox’s attention given the history between these teams — but it’s hard to figure out why Forsythe would intentionally throw an elbow there. It looked like he might have lifted his arm in an effort to avoid Pedroia’s tag, as it was a weird semi-swim move.
Pedroia hit the turf and immediately called out the trainer. He looked a little wobbly and exited the game. Will Middlebrooks entered at third base as Brock Holt shifted from third to second.
Kevin Kiermaier walked to reload the bases. Ben Zobrist grounded to the right side, resulting in a run-scoring forceout. Allen Craig tossed to second base to record an out there, but Xander Bogaerts’ relay throw wasn’t in time to retire Zobrist.
Webster struck out Wil Myers to avoid any more damage.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Jake Odorizzi put the leadoff hitter on in the second inning before settling back down.
Odorizzi plunked Yoenis Cespedes with his first pitch of the inning. Cespedes appeared to get hit in the triceps.
Cespedes took second base two batters later when Allen Craig ripped a sharp grounder to Evan Longoria. The ball briefly rolled away from Longoria, but the slick-fielding third baseman recovered in time to throw out Craig at first base.
The Red Sox couldn’t cash in with Cespedes in scoring position. Mookie Betts chased a pitch down and away to end the threat.
End 1st, 0-0: Nice first inning for Allen Webster, who endured an awful first frame in his last start.
Webster, like Jake Odorizzi, retired the side in order. Ben Zobrist, Wil Myers and Matt Joyce went down without a peep.
Zobrist and Myers put the ball on the ground to Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt, respectively.
Matt Joyce struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch that dipped out of the zone.
Mid 1st, 0-0: For what it’s worth, a lightning strike caused the brief power delay. So, there’s that.
Now, on the baseball front, the Red Sox went down in order in the first inning against Jake Odorizzi.
Brock Holt struck out swinging to begin the ballgame. He chased a splitter in the dirt that Ryan Hanigan tossed to first base to complete the out.
Dustin Pedroia grounded to short and David Ortiz flied out to left field.
7:22 p.m.: After a brief delay, Jake Odorizzi’s first pitch is a ball.
Maybe Chewbacca should have stayed out there.
7:12 p.m.: Word on the street is this game will start at approximately 7:20 p.m.
Meanwhile, Chewbacca waits to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Star Wars Night.
You can’t make this stuff up.
7:10 p.m.: So, yeah, here’s the thing. This game isn’t starting on time.
Why, you ask?
Well, there’s a power delay at Tropicana Field.
That’s right. Some of the lights are out.
Let’s chalk this one up to #TropProbz.
6:33 p.m.: Xander Bogaerts is back.
Bogaerts was activated from the seven-day concussion disabled list before Saturday’s game. The shortstop was sidelined after getting hit in the head by a pitch Aug. 22.
Bogaerts will bat eighth in his return. Brock Holt will play third base with Will Middlebrooks sitting out.
Saturday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (59-75)
Brock Holt, 3B
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Daniel Nava, RF
Allen Craig, 1B
Mookie Betts, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ross, C
Allen Webster, RHP (3-2, 5.81 ERA)
Tampa Bay Rays (65-70)
Ben Zobrist, SS
Wil Myers, RF
Matt Joyce, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
James Loney, 1B
Brandon Guyer, LF
Logan Forsythe, 2B
Ryan Hanigan, C
Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Jake Odorizzi, RHP (9-11, 4.23 ERA)
6 p.m. ET: Allen Webster is among those looking to make a name for himself down the stretch. To this point, he hasn’t really stood out, as his high points have been mitigated by some struggles.
Webster enters Saturday’s start against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on the heels of a six-run yield over 4 1/3 innings Sunday against the Seattle Mariners. It obviously was a step back for the right-hander, who had gone at least six innings while allowing three earned runs or fewer in three straight starts.
The Red Sox have won three of their last four games following an eight-game losing streak. Boston took Friday’s series opener at The Trop after a pair of four-run innings to open the contest. Mookie Betts smacked his first career grand slam, making him the youngest Red Sox player since Tony Conigliaro in 1965 to hit a grand slam.
Webster will face Jake Odorizzi in the Red Sox’s second of four games against the Rays. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Tune in on NESN and keep it right here with NESN.com’s live blog.
