Red Sox earn 1st series win at Tropicana Field since 2019
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jarren Duran homered and stole home as the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Duran scored to make it 4-2 during a double steal with Rafael Devers in a go-ahead, two-run eighth against Jason Adam (2-1). Duran headed home after Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt tried to throw Devers out at second and beat a return throw to the plate with a head-first slide.
“Stealing home to get us an extra run is always awesome,” Duran said.
Devers had his team record of homering in six consecutive games end. Only nine players have gone deep in seven straight games. Ken Griffey Jr. (1993), Don Mattingly (1987) and Dale Long (1956) share the longest streak with eight.
“It was great run there,” Cora said, “It’s amazing.”
Devers singled in three at-bats for an 11-game hitting streak, He was intentionally walked in the decisive eighth that saw Wilyer Abreu hit a tiebreaking single earlier in the inning.. It was Devers’ first stolen base this season,
“It makes me happy to help the team win,” Devers said through a translator.
Rays manager Kevin Cash called the double steal a “good play by them.”
By winning the first two games of a three-game set, the Red Sox won their first road series against the Rays since July 22-24, 2019. Boston moved back over .500 at 25-24.
The Rays have dropped a season high-tying three straight games and fell to 25-25.
Duran homered leading off the sixth off Rays starter Zack Littell to tie it at 2. Reese McGuire had a solo drive in the ninth.
“With the new rules and everything, he’s the perfect player for this environment,” Boston manager Alex Cora said of Duran. “He can run, he can hit it out of the ballpark. He’s a good defender.”
Tampa Bay has allowed a major league-leading 41 homers at home.
Greg Weissert (2-1) struck out two in a perfect seventh and Kenley Jansen worked the ninth to get his 14th save in 17 chances..
Isaac Paredes put the Rays up 2-0 on a two-run single against Cooper Criswell in the first. Boston got within 2-1 on a second-inning RBI single by Vaughn Grissom.
Littell gave up two runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings. Criswell allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Cora said reliever Liam Hendriks (Tommy John surgery) is “trending in the right direction” and remains optimistic the right-hander will be back this season. … DH Masataka Yoshida (strained left thumb) is getting treatment and “improving but not there yet to do baseball activities,” according to Cora. … 1B Triston Casas (strained left ribs) has added throwing to his workout program.
Rays: SS Taylor Walls, out all season following right hip surgery, went 0 for 2 and played five innings of defense in his first game with the rookie-level FCL Rays.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (3-2, 3.68 ERA) will make his first start Wednesday night since getting hit in the lower left leg by an 107.5 mph liner by the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 5. RHP Brayan Bello (4-2, 3.96 ERA) will be the Boston starter.
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