ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays made historical past Thursday, tying the record for the most wins to start a season in Major League Baseball’s fashionable generation with a 9-3 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Things seemed unhealthy for the Rays as the workforce trailed 3-1 heading into the 5th inning of the sport, and Boston pitcher Corey Kluber seemed unstoppable as he had thrown seven strikeouts.
But when the backside of the 5th inning were given underway, the wheels totally got here off for Boston.
The inning began with designated hitter Harold Ramirez hitting a double to start the inning. Third baseman Taylor Walls got here up subsequent and level-headed out however moved Ramirez to 2d base.
After a fast discuss with to the mound, Kluber walked Josh Lowe, leaving runners on first and 2d. Francisco Mejia singled in Ramirez and moved Lowe to 2d, making the ranking 3-2.
Kluber used to be ready to get first baseman Yandy Diaz to fly out to proper box to depart the Rays with only one out in the inning. The Red Sox then made a pitching exchange to Richard Bleier, and the Rays pounced.
Brandon Lowe singled in Josh Lowe and moved Mejia to 3rd, making the ranking 3-3. Left fielder Randy (*13*) then singled in Mejia, leaving the Rays with runners on first and 2d and a 4-3 lead.
Bleier then plunked shortstop Wander Franco and the bases have been loaded. The Rays despatched up pitch hitter Manuel Margot and he delivered with a bunt to ranking Brandon Lowe and stay the bases loaded.
That’s when Ramirez got here again up in the lineup and proceeded to hit a double to left box, clearing the bases and giving the Rays an 8-3 lead.
After retaining the Red Sox scoreless in the 6th and 7th inning, the Rays got here up to bat in the backside of the 7th inning and prolonged their lead.
Brandon Lowe led off the backside of the 7th with a homer run to proper heart box, making the Rays lead 9-3, and that’s the reason the approach the sport would finish.
“I’m glad that we did it home, because we had tremendous fan support throughout this entire home stand,” Rays supervisor Kevin Cash mentioned throughout his postgame news convention. “They really got loud when we need them to, and it seemed like our guys were energized by that. No doubt. When you [start 13 and 0], you’re playing really well. There’s not one part of our game right now that we don’t feel good about.”
The Rays can set the fashionable generation record for wins to start a season once they open a sequence Friday evening in Toronto towards the Blue Jays.