Wednesday, 4 a.m.
It wasn’t the quick start that you will remember. It was the slow death that followed.
The Tampa Bay Rays lost for the third straight day on Tuesday night, watching the Boston Red Sox overcome a slow start for a 5-2 victory. The Rays fell back to fourth place and a .500 record (25-25) with the loss.
The Rays jumped to a 2-0 lead when the top of the team’s
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line up had four hits and two runs. After that, however, the Rays had just three hits and no runs.
Cooper Criswell gave up only two hits after the first inning, going 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts.
Issac Paredes had three hits, including a two-run single in the first. But the Rays were just one-for-seven with runner in scoring position. Ten Rays struck out.
The Rays’ pitching staff was touched for two more home runs, one of their trouble spots this season. The Sox have four homers in two games.
For the Sox, Jarren Duran had a homer and stole home.
Zack Littell started for the Rays and gave up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. But reliever Jason Adam struggled, giving up two earned runs in the eighth.
The Rays and Red Sox play again tonight at 6:50 p.m. Ryan Pepiot will start for the Rays against Brayan Bello.