The Boston Red Sox got back on track Wednesday night.
Martin Perez put together a hard-earned start, the bats came to life (including a pair of home runs), the bullpen did not allow a hit after the fifth inning and the Red Sox used every bit of it in their 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
The Red Sox moved to 4-8 with the win while the Rays dropped to 5-7.
More Red Sox: Watch Alex Verdugo Blast Two-Run Homer
GAME IN A WORD
Refreshing.
After a four-game losing streak, it was good to see it all come together — offense, defense, pitching — for the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Now, they’ll try and take it with them back to Boston where they’ll host seven straight games.
Red Sox with a 5-0 shutout to improve to 4-8. Perez, Verdugo and Chavis the catalysts in this one. Their most well-played game since Opening Night for sure. The season is now 20 percent over.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) August 6, 2020
ON THE BUMP
— Perez put together a good-not-great performance, using key pitches in key spots to not allow a run through his five-inning start. Perez scattered four hits while tallying four strikeouts.
The right-hander stranded a pair of runners on first and second in the first inning, one runner in the second and another two runners in the fourth inning.
The fourth inning, specifically, saw the Rays put men on first and second with nobody out before Perez earned a fly out, line out and strikeout to get out of the jam.
.@MartinPerez54d’s Night at the Trop:
5.0 IP 4 H 0 R 3 BB 4 SO pic.twitter.com/6dTzXr1NvX— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 6, 2020
— Colten Brewer came on in relief and had an effective sixth inning. While Brewer walked the leadoff man, he recorded a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to end the frame.
— Austin Brice put together a 1-2-3 seventh with a line out, strikeout and groundout.
— Matt Barnes came on for the eighth inning and shut it down, compiling another 1-2-3 frame with the ball never leaving the infield.
— Brandon Workman walked the leadoff batter, but bounced back with three consecutive strikeouts to earn the save in the ninth inning.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox finished with 10 hits in the contest.
— Mitch Moreland connected on a two-out double to left-center field in the first inning, but Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third base to strand Boston’s first runner in scoring position.
— Alex Verdugo blasted a two-run homer — first first of the season — to get the Red Sox on the board in the fourth inning.
D U G I E
I
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G
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R pic.twitter.com/kMrdQoZYfy— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 6, 2020
— The Sox gained some separation in the sixth inning.
Bogaerts stroked a leadoff double off the center field wall before Christian Vazquez slapped an RBI-single to left field to give the Sox a 3-0 lead. The very next batter, Michael Chavis, belted a two-run home run to left-center field to extend Boston’s lead to 5-0. The Red Sox put another two runners on base without recording an out, but the Rays were able to limit the damage with a strike out and inning-ending double play.
Sorry to that cardboard fan. pic.twitter.com/g0yyVNC8fy
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 6, 2020
— Chavis led the offense with three hits while Bogaerts added two of his own. Jose Peraza, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Vazquez and Verdugo had one hit apiece.
TWEET OF THE GAME
When Chavis is in the same conversation as Ted Williams in a specific statistic, it’s notable.
Fewest games to reach 20 career HR (Red Sox):
1. Walt Dropo (1950) – 79
2. Norm Zauchin (1955) – 81
3. Tony Conigliaro (1964) – 88
4. Will Middlebrooks (2012-13) – 93
5. Carlton Fisk (1971-72) – 98
6. MICHAEL CHAVIS (2019-20) – 103(Ted Williams reached 20 HR in 118 games.)
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) August 6, 2020
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will be off Thursday before returning to Fenway Park for a seven-game homestead, which will start with the Toronto Blue Jays coming to Boston on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
