Shane McClanahan pitched six innings of one-run ball and three players went 2-for-4 as the Tampa Bay Rays posted a 4-1 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon.
McClanahan (9-1) struck out five and allowed just five hits and two walks, bouncing back from his first loss of the season. Justin Turner’s solo home run in the sixth inning was the lone blemish against the Tampa Bay ace.
Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco and Francisco Mejia all had two hits for the Rays, who used a three-run fifth inning to post their third straight win to finish the four-game series.
Rafael Devers was 2-for-4 and Christian Arroyo also doubled for Boston.
Red Sox righty Brayan Bello (3-4) struck out the side in the opening inning and allowed just two baserunners over the first four frames, but a five-hit fifth helped the Rays jump out to a 3-0 lead.
Luke Raley’s leadoff double to center and a Manuel Margot chopper through the left side plated the first Tampa Bay run. Margot moved to second on the throw and scored on Mejia’s ground ball single to center two batters later.
Diaz and Franco followed with back-to-back hits to load the bases before Josh Lowe made it 3-0 on a fielder’s choice grounder.
Bello struck out five and allowed three runs on six hits across six innings.
Boston could not find a run against McClanahan until the sixth as Turner ripped a solo homer into the Green Monster seats. It was his seventh blast of the season.
The Rays added to their lead as reliever Nick Pivetta issued a bases-loaded walk to Taylor Walls in the seventh. Pivetta also allowed a double to Franco and issued two other walks before Diaz scored the insurance run.
After making two costly errors in Sunday’s loss, the Red Sox defense came to play in the early innings to temporarily keep the game scoreless.
Center fielder Enrique Hernandez robbed Raley of a potential home run by making a catch at the fence towards the triangle in the second inning.
Alex Verdugo’s turn for a web gem in right came when he robbed Mejia of a homer near Pesky’s Pole an inning later.
Boston manager Alex Cora was ejected after the eighth after arguing a Devers called third strike that led to an inning-ending, strike ‘em out-throw ‘em out double play.
–Field Level Media