BOSTON — The Red Sox never played from behind. That’s because they blanked the Tampa Bay Rays.
Boston has dug itself a hole frequently this season, but Rick Porcello made sure the club would have no such issues Tuesday as the Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 win at Fenway Park.
Mookie Betts provided all of the offense. Literally.
GAME IN A WORD
Nostalgic.
The Red Sox celebrated the 40th anniversary of their 1975 team before the game. They then treated the crowd to a 2-0 win that was reminiscent of the old days.
Porcello scattered eight hits in the win but lasted seven innings — true old school fashion, right? — before handing things over to the bullpen. Luis Tiant, Bill Lee and Co. would be proud.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Betts launched his second home run of the game in the eighth inning.
Betts went deep against Drew Smyly in the sixth inning, breaking up the Rays starter’s no-hit bid. The 22-year-old decided one homer wasn’t enough, though, and later went yard against Ernesto Frieri.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Betts crushed two balls into the Monster seats. The two-homer performance marked the first multihomer game of Betts’ young career.
Betts (22 years, 210 days) is the youngest Red Sox player with a multihomer game since Jim Rice accomplished the feat twice as a 22-year-old in 1975.
— Allen Craig, playing left field in place of the injured Hanley Ramirez, reached base twice (single, walk).
— David Ortiz looks like he’s seeing the ball well.
Ortiz doubled down the right field line and also smoked a ball toward the triangle that Kevin Kiermaier snagged before bumping into the wall. Big Papi certainly picked the wrong part of Fenway on his flyout.
Ortiz is in the midst of an eight-game hit streak, during which he’s hitting .367 (11-for-30).
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello was nails.
The right-hander tossed seven shutout innings in which he scattered eight hits. He struck out six, didn’t walk anyone and induced eight ground ball outs.
The Red Sox absolutely need one of their starters to step up and assert himself. Porcello has done that the last two outings, giving Boston some hope that it might have a staff leader in its grasp.
— Alexi Ogando worked a perfect eighth inning.
— Koji Uehara earned his fifth save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Wear them every night? Mookie says, “Yes.”
[tweet https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/595754400410370051Â align=’center’%5D
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Rays will wrap up their three-game series Wednesday. Justin Masterson is scheduled to face Alex Colome in the teams’ rubber match.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
