Red Sox Wrap: Boston Blows Four-Run Lead, Drops Finale 7-4 Against Rays

Six runs on three dingers proved to be the difference-maker Monday night.

The Red Sox went into Tropicana Field in hopes to split their series against the Bay Rays, but a six-run fourth put the home team in the lead once and for. Boston never could overcome the deficit and fell 7-4 to Tampa Bay.

Boston held a 4-0 lead at one point, but the Rays’ offense came alive to take the series 3-1. This also was the last time the two teams will meet this season.

Jackie Bradley Jr. provided a ton of offense for the Sox, but it wasn’t enough as Boston slipped to 81-75 with the loss, while the Rays climbed to 93-64.

Here’s how it all went down:

GAME IN A WORD
Ugh.

The Red Sox had a 4-0 lead at one point.

ON THE BUMP
— Jhoulys Chacin began the game strong, pitching 1-2-3 innings in the second and third while collecting four strikeouts through the first three innings. But he allowed the Rays to get back in the game in the fourth.

Austin Meadows and Travis d’Arnaud ripped back-to-back singles to pave the way for Ji-Man Choi to hit a three-run blast to center to make it 4-3.

Brandon Lowe tied the game at four with a dinger of his own, ending Chacin’s night after giving up four earned runs on as many hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

— Things didn’t get any better for Bobby Poyner, who immediately ran into trouble by hitting Kevin Kiermaier before giving up a two-run bomb to Willy Adames to give the Rays a 6-4 lead.

Poyner got out of the inning before things got worse.

— Hector Velazquez tossed a 1-2-3 fifth with a strikeout. He returned for the sixth but wasn’t as lucky as the inning prior.

The right-hander gave up back-to-back doubles to Choi and Avisail Garcia, who tried to stretch it into a triple, but was gunned down from the warning track in right field on a spectacular throw by Mookie Betts.

A run did score to make it 7-6, but that throw potentially put a stop any further damage.

— Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless, hitless seventh in his first appearance since being placed on the injured list Aug. 2.

— Brian Johnson picked up two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston struck first in the second when Bradley led off the frame with a single before Chris Owings walked. Marco Hernandez ripped ground-rule double down the left-field line to make it 1-0.

— Mitch Moreland doubled to begin the second before Bradley smacked a double of his own to up the Sox’s lead to 2-0.

— Two more runs in the fourth gave Boston a four-run lead when Hernandez walked followed by a Betts single with two outs in the inning. Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez hit back-to-back singles that each drove in a run for the 4-0 lead.

— That’s all the runs the offense was able to produce, despite putting runners on the corners with nobody out in the ninth.

— Bradley led the Red Sox with three hits, while Betts chipped in two. Owings, Gorkys Hernandez and Sandy Leon went hitless. All other batters had one hit.

TWEET OF THE GAME
Hey Mookie, how on earth did you make that throw in the sixth?

UP NEXT
The Red Sox travel to Texas take on the Rangers on Tuesday night. First pitch from Globe Life Park is set for 8:05 p.m. ET.