Price right, little else
Silent bats, early boots doom Sox
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was one of those games that just slipped through the fingers of John Farrell’s club.
Two errors in the first inning, one pitch too many by Eduardo Rodriguez and a short bench that convinced Farrell to leave Rajai Davis at the plate with the game on the line in the ninth inning all ended up costing the Red Sox in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday.
David Price returned to the mound and provided two strong innings out of the bullpen, but the Red Sox offense had nothing left in the tank. With just three hits, the Sox went quietly.
They took two of the three games for the fourth straight series and maintained their three-game lead in the American League East thanks to a New York Yankees loss to the Baltimore Orioles, who the Red Sox will face for three games beginning tonight.
Price pitched for the first time since July 22 and looked strong and confident, unafraid to throw first-pitch breaking balls while attacking his former club.
He threw two perfect innings and struck out two after coming on in the seventh, when the Sox were already down, 3-2.
“Been doing this a long time,” Price said. “Not really (surprised by the results).”
Rodriguez hung in for 52⁄3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned), while striking out seven over 110 pitches.
He got no help from his defense in the first inning.
It might be time for another day off for Rafael Devers, who made another error and Jackie Bradley Jr. made a rare gaffe in center field that contributed to a first-inning run by Tampa Bay.
The rookie’s error was his third in three games. This time he botched a routine grounder for his 11th error in 44 games.
“I don’t think it’s a concentration issue,” Farrell said. “I think what we have seen in the time that he’s been here when he’s had a fairly run of consecutive games, he needs a day every now and then. And that might be upcoming here.”
Rays starter Jake Odorizzi entered the game without much career success against the Red Sox hitters, who were hitting .295 with an .875 OPS off him.
But Odorizzi controlled this one, keeping the Sox hitless until the sixth, when Bradley slugged a two-run homer to score Brock Holt, who had drawn a walk.
The score was tied, 2-2, when Farrell sent Rodriguez back out for the bottom of the sixth at 101 pitches. He retired the first two batters, then left an 84-mph slider over the middle of the plate and Jesus Sucre hammered it out for a solo homer that proved the difference.
“They asked and I was good (to pitch that inning),” Rodriguez said. “I was feeling really good. I just missed a slider over the plate.”
Farrell said he had reason to believe Rodriguez was still throwing well.
“Like I said, he was throwing 90, 93, 95 in the sixth, gets two quick outs, give him a chance to finish it and put himself in position to possibly get a win,” Farrell said.
Mookie Betts left the game in the fifth with a thumb injury and his replacement, Davis, was up to bat with Andrew Benintendi on first base in the ninth inning against Rays closer Alex Colome.
It was only Davis’ fourth at-bat in the month of September, but Farrell opted not to pinch hit for him and Davis grounded into a double play to end the game.
“I liked him against the matchup,” Farrell said.