Final, Rays 4-3
The Red Sox and Rays have split a four-game series after Tampa Bay won Monday’s finale in extra innings.
Grant Balfour picked up the win, while Burke Badenhop got the loss.
Boston, which leads the major leagues with 11 extra inning defeats, will travel to New York for a three-game series against the rival Yankees on Tuesday.
End 10th, Rays 4-3: David Ross took over at catcher for Boston.
Ryan Hanigan doubled down the left field line. Yoenis Cespedes almost gunned him down at second, but the Rays’ catcher barely got his hand to the base in time.
The Red Sox challenged the play and the call on the field was confirmed. Sean Rodriguez pinch ran for Hanigan.
Kevin Kiermaier was intentionally walked to set up a potential double play.
Ben Zobrist sacrificed to first base to move the runners to second and third.
Will Myers was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up a force out at every base.
Matt Joyce singled to left field, scoring Rodriguez.
Mid 10th, 3-3: Grant Balfour relieved Jake McGee.
Xander Bogaerts flied out to right field.
Christian Vazquez singled to right field. Jemile Weeks pinch ran for Vazquez, then got picked off at first for the second out.
Mookie Betts flied out to center.
End 9th, 3-3: Craig Breslow relieved Edward Mujica.
James Loney lined out to left field.
Brandon Guyer pinch hit for David DeJesus, then lined out to shortstop.
Burke Badenhop relieved Breslow and got Yunel Escobar to ground out to third to end the inning.
Mid 9th, 3-3: Jake McGee relieved Steve Geltz.
Allen Craig flied out to right field.
Daniel Nava grounded out to third base.
Will Middlebrooks flied out to right field to end the inning.
Tampa Bay has a chance to walk off with the win in the bottom of the ninth.
End 8th, 3-3: Edward Mujica relieved Tazawa.
Ben Zobrist struck out swinging, then Wil Myers singled to center.
Matt Joyce hit into a fielder’s choice as Myers was thrown out at second.
Evan Longoria struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mid 8th, 3-3: Jeff Beliveau relieved Brad Boxberger.
Christian Vazquez popped out to second base.
Mookie Betts singled into left center field.
Brock Holt grounded out to the pitcher, but Betts was able to take second base.
Steven Geltz relieved Beliveau, then gave up an RBI single to Yoenis Cespedes that tied the game.
Mike Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning.
End 7th, Rays 3-2: Junichi Tazawa relieved Tommy Layne.
Yunel Escobar flies out to right field to begin the inning. Red Sox pitching has retired six straight batters.
Ryan Hanigan flied out to center.
Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to the shortstop.
Mid 7th, Rays 3-2: Allen Craig walked to begin the inning.
Daniel Nava struck out swinging.
Will Middlebrooks flied out to center.
Xander Bogaerts strikes out for the second time today to end the inning.
End 6th, Rays 3-2: Evan Longoria lined out to Will Middlebrooks at third base.
Tommy Layne has relieved Rubby De La Rosa, who pitched 5 and 1/3 innings. He gave up three earned runs, six hits and struck out four.
James Loney hit a ground ball up the middle, and Xander Bogaerts made a great diving play to get the out.
David DeJesus grounded out to second base.
Mid 6th, Rays 3-2: Mookie Betts fouled out to first base.
Brock Holt drew a walk.
Yoenis Cespedes struck out swinging for the second time today.
Brad Boxberger has replaced Drew Smyly, who pitched 5 and 2/3 innings. He gave up two earned runs, three hits, two walks and struck out seven.
Mike Napoli strikes out swinging to end the inning.
End 5th, Rays 3-2: Kevin Kiermaier led off the inning with a single to right field.
Ben Zobrist hit a ground ball to second base. Brock Holt fired to second for the force out, but Xander Bogaerts’ throw to first was not in time to get Zobrist.
Wil Myers hits a ground ball to Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, who threw to second for the force out. There was no play to be made at first base.
Matt Joyce flied out to left field to end the inning.
Mid 5th, Rays 3-2: Will Middlebrooks leads off with a strikeout. Drew Smyly has struck out six batters so far.
Xander Bogaerts doubled down the left field line. He was thrown out trying to steal third base. The throw was poor, but Evan Longoria did a nice job to tag a sliding Bogaerts.
Christian Vazquez flied out to right field.
End 4th, Rays 3-2: David DeJesus struck out looking.
Yunel Escobar grounded out to shortstop.
Ryan Hanigan fouled out to first base.
Mid 4th, Rays 3-2: Yoenis Cespedes struck out swining to begin the inning.
Mike Napoli hit a home run to left field, his 17th of the season and 51st RBI. It’s also his first ever hit off Drew Smyly.
Allen Craig popped out to shallow right field.
Brock Holt flied out to right field to end the inning.
End 3rd, Rays 3-1: Ryan Hanigan led off with a single to left field.
Kevin Kiermaier struck out swinging.
Ben Zobrist hit a chopper down the third base line and Will Middlebrooks didn’t have a play at second or first. The play was scored an infield hit.
Will Myers doubled down the right field line to score Hanigan. Zobrist advanced to third base.
Matt Joyce struck out swinging.
Evan Longoria singled up the middle to score Zobrist and Myers.
James Loney flied out to right field.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Will Middlebrooks begins the inning with a fly out to foul territory in right field.
Xander Bogaerts strikes out swinging.
Christian Vazquez draws a walk. He’s Boston’s first baserunner of the game.
Mookie Betts doubles into the gap in left field and Vazquez scores as the Red Sox take the lead.
Brock Holt flies out to left field and the inning is over.
End 2nd, 0-0: We’ve got a pitchers duel brewing in Tampa Bay.
James Loney flies out to center.
David DeJesus grounds out to second base.
Yunel Escobar grounds out to third base.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Mike Napoli grounds out to third base to begin the inning.
Allen Craig flies out to the warning track in left field.
Daniel Nava grounds out to second base to end the inning.
End 1st, 0-0: Ben Zobrist hits a ball deep to left-center field, but Mookie Betts tracks it down for the first out.
Wil Myers singles to left field. Matt Joyce goes down swinging for Rubby De La Rosa’s first strikeout of the game.
Evan Longoria flies out to center field to end the inning.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Drew Smyly picks up his first strike out of the game. Mookie Betts was thrown out at first after the catcher dropped a called third strike.
Brock Holt strikes out looking.
Yoenis Cespedes goes down swinging as Smyly strikes out the side.
1:10 p.m.: We’re underway at Tropicana Field!
12:10 p.m.: The Boston Red Sox will send Rubby De La Rosa to the mound in Monday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, and they’re hoping that the young right-hander will pitch as well as Clay Buchholz did Sunday.
De La Rosa is 4-5 with a 3.85 earned run average, a 1.45 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 14 starts. He last pitched on Aug. 26 against the Toronto Blue Jays, when he allowed three earned runs, seven hits and two walks in a no-decision.
The Red Sox offense has been up-and-down in this series, and the lineup will be without slugger David Ortiz for the series finale.
Mookie Betts will look to give the lineup a boost from the leadoff spot. He hit his first career grand slam on Friday and drove in a run Sunday with another clutch at-bat.
Will the Red Sox take three out of four from the Rays? Follow our live blog for play-by-play, score updates and more from Monday’s game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
