With a solid start by right-hander Martin Perez, the Boston Red Sox kept it close through the opening six innings before the Tampa Bay Rays used a six-run seventh to hand the hosts an 8-2 defeat at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.
The bullpen was among the biggest of concerns, but not far behind was the offense, who mustered nine hits while five runners were left on base.
With the loss, the Red Sox drop to 6-11 while the win gets the Rays to 10-8.
Here’s how it went down:
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GAME IN A WORD
Rough.
The six-run seventh pretty much put the clamps on this one, which was pretty unfortunate seeing how Perez put together a nice start.
ON THE BUMP
— Martin Perez put together arguably his best performance in a Red Sox uniform, allowing just three hits in 5 2/3 innings.
It didn’t exactly start off well for Perez, who allowed a lead-off home run to Michael Brosseau in the first inning, but he settled with his command and struck out five while allowing two earned runs.
Brosseau is French, for leadoff home run pic.twitter.com/cytbsVEKp9
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 11, 2020
Perez sat the Rays down in order during both the fourth and fifth innings, and had a pair of strikeouts to begin the sixth before a walk got him pulled.
The 5 2/3 innings from Perez ties his longest start this season. Also induced 10 swing/miss tonight, also tied for the most he's had in a start this year. But the offense…
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) August 12, 2020
— Austin Brice came on in relief for Perez and got the Sox out of the sixth frame in three pitches, but trouble ensued for the right-hander in the seventh.
Brice ultimately allowed five earned runs (two with Robert Stock on the mound) as he allowed three hits in just 2/3 of an inning.
— Robert Stock, who was called up Tuesday, came on for Brice in the seventh with runners on the corners and one out.
Stock walked the first batter he faced with Tampa tallying one run on a Christian Vazquez passed ball and another two runs on a double off left-field wall.
Stock came back out for the eighth and recorded a stat line of 1 1/3 innings with two hits and three strikeouts.
— Dylan Covey relieved Stock with two outs in the eighth, stranding three Tampa baserunners. The right-hander then retired the side in the ninth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox recorded nine hits.
— Boston tied the game, 1-all, in the second inning.
Michael Chavis connected on an RBI single to center field to Christian Vazquez, who stroked a two-out double earlier in the inning.
RBI-single for the birthday boy! pic.twitter.com/MrJxLDiFlb
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 12, 2020
— The Red Sox had Andrew Benintendi on third base with two outs in the third inning, but Xander Bogaerts flied out to right field to end the threat.
— Boston cut its deficit to 8-2 in the eighth.
The Sox had runners at first and second with nobody out in the inning after a lead-off single by Jonathan Arauz and Benintendi being hit by a pitch. Alex Verdugo stroked a RBI single down the third-base line.
— Chavis belted a stand-up triple with two outs in the ninth inning, but Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out to end the game.
— The Red Sox sent just three batters to the plate in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
—Â Arauz, Benintendi and Chavis each recorded two hits while Bradley Jr. and Vazquez had one hit apiece.
Benintendi with two hits on groundballs. He's doubled his hits total for the season.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) August 12, 2020
— J.D. Martinez, Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Perez’ outing seemed to continue a pitching trend this season.
Perez: 31 changeups, 26 cutters, 20 sinkers. The Red Sox have been very comfortable with Eovaldi/Perez/Godley moving away from fastballs as their primary pitch, focusing on the offerings more likely to get bad contact or swings/misses.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) August 12, 2020
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park to host the Rays in the third game of the four-game series on Wednesday. NESN will air the game starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
