Friday, 4 a.m.
If it was up to them, the Tampa Bay Rays would be in the thick of the hunt.
If it was up to the starting rotation of the Rays, if the team could hit even a tad, then the post-season would be achievable.
The Rays, who have struggled at the plate all season, showed once again just how good they are on their pitching staff. Zack Littell, in his best start of the
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season, threw seven shutout innings and allowed just one hit in a 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox Thursday night.
Littell, 8-9, threw just 75 pitches in taming the Red Sox. The Rays had two perfect relief innings by Edwin Uceta and Garrett Cleavinger.
The Rays scored single runs in the third (Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly scored Jose Siri) and the seventh (Dylan Carlson grounded in Tyler Walls).
The Rays were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, but it didn’t matter with the strength of the team’s pitching.
Nick Sogard’s single in the third inning was Boston’s only hit.
The Rays begin a series with Toronto tonight at 6:50 p.m. at Tropicana Field. The Rays have not announced a starter. The Blue Jays will start Jose Berrios.