Zack Godley put the Red Sox in a tough situation early, and even with a J.D. Martinez eighth-inning grand slam, it was too much for Boston to overcome in a 9-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on Wednesday.
The Rays recorded 15 hits — 10 on Godley alone — while the Red Sox registered 12 of their own.
With the loss, the Red Sox fell to 6-12 while the Rays improved to 11-8.
More Red Sox: Watch J.D. Martinez Hit Grand Slam Vs. Rays
GAME IN A WORD (OR TWO)
Not ideal.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they were in a hole from the very beginning as the starter gave up three home runs.
ON THE BUMP
— Godley got the start, but the Rays quickly got the best of him.
Godley exited in the fourth inning with nobody out and runners on the corners. He recorded a stat line of eight earned runs on 10 hits in just three innings of work.
Godley allowed one run on two hits and a walk in the first, three runs on three hits (two homers) in the second, two runs on three hits (one home run) in the third, and one run on two hits before he exited in the fourth.
Godley has given up 3 homers and 5 extra-base hits, both season-highs for a Red Sox pitcher.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) August 13, 2020
Boston home run party pic.twitter.com/HGlEO3jRMz
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 13, 2020
The first home run for Tsutsugo at Fenway Park! pic.twitter.com/PYeOiZpLQu
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 13, 2020
— Ryan Weber relieved Godley with runners on the corners and nobody out in the fourth, and proceeded to give the Red Sox exactly what they needed — someone to eat up innings, and not allow the game to get even more out of hand.
Weber’s lone blemish was allowing a solo homer in the ninth inning to Austin Meadows, after the Sox cut the deficit to three runs after a five-run eighth.
Weber impressed through the fifth when he faced four batters, sixth when he retired the in order, facing three batters in the seventh, retired the side in the eighth and saw five batters in the ninth five batters. He threw six full innings, scattering five hits and recording four strikeouts.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox compiled 12 hits, 11 of which were singles.
— Martinez finished with four RBIs while Jonathan Araúz had one RBI of his own.
— Kevin Pillar had four hits while Xander Bogaerts, Michael Chavis, Tzu-Wei Lin, Jose Peraza, Jackie Bradley Jr., Alex Verdugo, Martinez and Arauz each had one.
Kevin Pillar has the perfect reaction to getting a hit off of Blake Snell. 🤣@RedSox | @KPILLAR4 | https://t.co/8YcZCoVAmi pic.twitter.com/vNyDZDRlIe
— NESN (@NESN) August 13, 2020
— The Red Sox brought just three batters to the plate in the first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth innings.
— Boston had a runner in scoring position in the second after Chavis reached on an infield single and stole second base with two outs. Verdugo, however, struck out to end the inning with Chavis on second.
— The Red Sox had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, but couldn’t muster any offense thereafter.
— Boston had the bases loaded with nobody out in the eighth inning when it scored all five of their runs.
Bradley Jr., Peraza and Pillar each slapped singles to load the bases before Araúz connected on an RBI-single to right field to keep them loaded with nobody out. Then Martinez stepped in and cleared the bags with his grand slam over the Green Monster. The Red Sox, though, couldn’t continue the rally and they went into the ninth inning trailing 8-5.
SEEEEEEEEE YAAAAAAAAAA 👋@RedSox | @JDMartinez28 | https://t.co/8YcZCoVAmi pic.twitter.com/vkf1XmMTbM
— NESN (@NESN) August 13, 2020
TWEET OF THE GAME
Martinez’s shot in the eighth inning was his 81st in a Red Sox uniform.
233rd career home run for J.D. Martinez, his 81st with #RedSox. 11th ever vs #Rays. 7th career grand slam home run, his first since April 11, 2018 vs #Yankees.
— Red Sox Nation Stats (@RSNStats) August 13, 2020
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will entertain the Rays for the fourth and final game of the series Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
