The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays already had met eight previous times heading into Saturday’s matinee, with the Red Sox taking six of those eight games.
Tampa Bay now has won two-straight over Boston, thanks in part to some heavy hitting on offense. The Rays have hit seven home runs over their last two games against the Sox, including four in their 12-6 victory at Fenway Park on Saturday.
Sox starting pitcher David Price gave up six runs (five earned) over 5 2/3 innings of work. The left-hander surrendered two home runs and walked in a run after loading the bases in the fifth. Seven of the last nine runs Price has given up have come with two outs, which he knows is a problem.
“It’s not like I’ve let off the gas or lost focused,” Price said after the game, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I just haven’t made the pitch (with two outs), and it’s something I have to get better at.”
Aside from the game loss, Boston also lost one of its hottest hitters in the fifth inning. Mookie Betts was taken out of the game after he was feeling tightness in his right hamstring. Sox skipper Alex Cora said the injury occurred while the right fielder was rounding the bases.
“It’s just tight,” Cora said. “(And) we’re not taking any chances.”
He added Betts is day-to-day and will see how he feels ahead of Sunday afternoon’s finale against Tampa Bay.
Here are some other notes from Red Sox-Rays:
— The Red Sox batters struck out a season-high 14 times at the plate and left 10 men on base, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
— Price had just six swings-and-misses on the afternoon along with four walks, which matched his season high.
Coming into the game, the left-hander had not surrendered a run over 14 innings against the Rays.
— Craig Kimbrel’s infant daughter, Lydia, who underwent her third heart surgery during Spring Training, was released from Boston Children’s Hospital on Saturday and now is at home.
— Steven Wright, who began the season on the disabled list, was activated by the Red Sox on Saturday and began serving his 15-game suspension.
— The Rays have won eight games in a row, marking this their longest winning streak since they won nine straight in 2014. The team also has won nine of their last 10.
— Tampa Bay left fielder Denard Span hit an inside-the-park home run in the second inning after the ball took a funky hop on Jackie Bradley Jr.
