Guts and Leury: Bunt leads to winning error
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Leury Garcia’s risky play in the ninth inning turned into a costly mistake by Matt Duffy.
Tim Anderson scored when Duffy committed a throwing error on Garcia’s two-strike bunt, and the Sox beat the Rays 2-1 on Saturday night for their third consecutive victory.
Anderson led off the ninth with a double off Yonny Chirinos (0-4). Garcia then bunted an 0-2 pitch toward third, and Duffy threw wildly toward first.
“He was looking at the defense, hoping to split them probably a little more,” manager Rick Renteria said. “But if you hustle, if you put more pressure on the defense, you give yourself a chance. It worked out. A pretty good defender threw wild to first.”
Duffy said he air-mailed his throw a little bit.
“Just a physical mistake,” he said.
Xavier Cedeno (2-0) got the last out of the eighth for the win, and Thyago Vieira pitched the ninth for his first major-league save.
Jose Abreu hit his 19th homer in the fourth to tie the score at 1-1. It was Abreu’s third homer in three games, and his ninth in 29 games against the Rays.
Carlos Rodon pitched six effective innings. He yielded an unearned run and three hits with four strikeouts and five walks.
Carlos Gomez scored the Rays’ only run after a double in the second inning. Gomez moved up on a passed ball and scored on Willy Adames’ infield single.
It was the 25th one-run loss of the season for the Rays, who had only three hits.
Renteria was ejected by umpire Jerry Meals in the fifth inning after a replay confirmed a disputed forceout of Yolmer Sanchez at second base.
“You’re not allowed to expose yourself to conversation with the umpire once the replay is called,” Renteria said. “To their credit, they kept trying to stop me, but I just wanted to make sure my sentiments were understood.”
Rays starter Blake Snell became the first pitcher with 12 consecutive home starts of giving up one or fewer earned runs since Max Lanier of the Cardinals in 1943-44. Snell has an ERA of 0.97 in nine home starts this year.