Tampa Bay's one-inning burst set the tone Sunday, as the Rays built an early cushion and held on to beat the Boston Red Sox.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Griffin Jax anchored the win with a scoreless start, keeping Boston quiet through his outing and earning the decision as Tampa Bay protected its advantage.
The Rays went in front in the first when Jonny DeLuca's double brought Yandy Díaz and Ryan Vilade home. Chandler Simpson then singled to score Junior Caminero and DeLuca, extending the lead. Victor Mesa Jr. added a homer in the fourth, while Trevor Story's ninth-inning homer provided Boston's only scoring.
Patrick Sandoval took the loss for Boston after the Rays turned their early opportunities into a lead the Red Sox could not erase.
Tampa Bay extended its winning streak, while Boston's losing streak continued. The game belonged to the Rays from the opening burst, and their pitching kept that advantage intact.
Tampa Bay Rays defeated Boston Red Sox, 5-1.
- Victor Mesa went 1-for-2 with 1 home run, 1 RBI and 1 run scored (batting .251 on the season).
- Trevor Story went 1-for-4 with 1 home run, 1 RBI and 1 run scored (batting .247 on the season).
- Nate Eaton went 0-for-2 (batting .133 on the season).
- Patrick Sandoval allowed 5 runs on 4 hits over 7.0 innings, striking out 5, and took the loss (1-7) (5.15 ERA).
- Griffin Jax allowed 0 runs on 3 hits over 5.0 innings, striking out 5, to earn the win (8-10) (3.62 ERA).
Tampa Bay Rays improved to 95-60 (2 straight wins); Boston Red Sox fell to 84-72 (2 straight losses).