Red Sox Notes: Bullpen Commended After ‘Team Win’ Over Rays

The Boston Red Sox were pushed to the limit, dragged into a three-plus-hour extra-inning battle with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

After Boston allowed Tampa Bay to even up the score at 3-3 in the sixth inning, both teams underwent a gritty and patient race to the finish. The Rays scored a go-ahead run to kick off the 11th while the Red Sox clapped back in the bottom half of the frame, evening up the score and extending an already long night at Fenway Park.

However, what can't be lost in the thrilling walk-off single by Romy Gonzalez in the 12th inning, which secured Boston's 5-4 win, is the bullpen effort.

"They did a great job," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "... They're throwing strikes. Kenley (Jansen) did a good job with the runner, again. (Chris Martin) with the catch and (Brennan Bernardino) at the end. There was a lane there for him with all the lefties and (he) did an outstanding job. Zack (Kelly), had good stuff today and he threw strikes. We talk about it, we need him to do that."

Justin Slaten, Martin, Jansen, Kelly, and Bernardino combined to throw 6 1/3 innings, charged with surrendering one earned run to Tampa Bay. Boston's relief arms banded together to extend the offense's window of opportunity, despite the Rays' bats showing urgency.

"It's a team game, it's a team effort, it's a team win," starting pitcher Nick Pivetta said, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "These guys never take themselves out of it. Really good AB's all around, and tremendous job by the bullpen as well to hold it together very well; limiting walks and getting ahead of guys and attacking the strike zone."

Boston is now two-for-five in extra-inning duels this season.

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Here are more notes from Tuesday night's Red Sox-Rays game:

-- Pivetta took the mound to start, pitching 5 2/3 innings while allowing two runs off four hits with eight strikeouts. The outing marked Pivetta's 200th career start, and the fourth straight this season in which he's allowed one or fewer walks to an opponent.

"I felt like I could keep going," Pivetta said, per NESN. "Just keep going until the ball's taken out of my hand is always how it goes. I'm just happy with the rhythm that I got into and the feeling that I had and just looking forward to stabilize that consistency moving forward."

-- Boston improved its MLB-best ERA (2.78), recording the team's lowest through 42 games played since the Live-Ball Era (since 1920).

-- Ceddanne Rafaela went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, now leading all MLB rookies and the Red Sox with 23 RBIs.

-- Boston is now 10-10 when playing at Fenway Park.

-- The Red Sox will continue their series with the Rays on Wednesday night. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.