The Boston Red Sox followed up their series-opening loss with a 3-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday.
Boston fell to 47-41 on the season, while Tampa Bay improves to 47-40.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Following a disastrous sixth inning that saw the Red Sox endure their second injury and let the Rays score the tying and go-ahead runs on errors, the snowball effect kicked in soon after. Alex Verdugo fell victim to a pickoff at third base in the seventh after connecting on his second double of the game, proving how crucial momentum can build and fall apart.
Following Monday’s loss in which the Red Sox were setback by the early pitching troubles of Brayan Bello, Boston failed to capitalize on the efforts of not just Sale’s scoreless debut, but the bullpen’s response following Matt Strahm’s injury.
Kaleb Ort, John Schreiber, and Hirokazu Sawamura combined to throw 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief right after. Unfortunately, their efforts didn’t result in victorious fashion with the Red Sox ultimately suffering their eighth loss of the season against the Rays.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Corey Kluber delivered a strong performance, lasting six innings while allowing just two earned runs off four hits while collecting seven strikeouts — making strong use of the off-speed pitches in his arsenal.
— Jeter Downs replaced an injured Trevor Story and went 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run scored.
— Chris Sale did his part, assisting in setting the tone for Boston with his contribution of five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and a walk to go with his five strikeouts. He continues his strong career stretch (2.09 ERA heading into Tuesday) with now 13 starts under his belt at Tropicana Field.
WAGER WATCH
Draftkings Sportsbook set the odds of an Alex Verdugo double at +400 heading into Tuesday. The 26-year-old cashed that ticket with his sixth-inning two-bagger, with a $100 bet paying out at $500 total.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox and Rays are scheduled to continue their four-game series on Wednesday at Tropicana Field. First pitch from Tampa Bay is set for 7:10 p.m. ET following an hour of NESN pregame coverage.
