Depleted Sox rally past Rays
Regain 2-game lead for second wild card
Despite an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak that’s threatening the balance of their season, the Red Sox turned the calendar to September still in a playoff spot.
It was only one game, but they’re certainly not ready to give that up just yet. With their backs against the wall and a depleted roster, the Red Sox got up from one of the lowest points of their season and responded with one of their most sorely needed victories of the season, a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday.
Jarren Duran provided the biggest hit of the night, and perhaps one of the biggest of the year, a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth that broke a 2-2 deadlock. Adam Ottavino’s 1-2-3 ninth sealed it for the Red Sox as they broke a three-game losing streak, and more importantly lifted a team that’s been crushed by COVID-19 this week.
“That was big,” Chris Sale said. “There’s no doubt we’ve had some gut punches over the last week, week and a half, even before then. To know that we still got some fight left in us, we’ve got some kick. No one in here has given up. Our attitude and effort is staying the same no matter who’s in this clubhouse or who’s not, and that’s the most important thing.
“We’re still in a position that most other guys would love to be in, and we know that, and we’ve got to keep rolling with it.”
When Ottavino struck out Brandon Lowe to end it, manager Alex Cora was visibly pumped in the dugout, pumping his fist and screaming behind his mask. The victory coupled with an A’s loss allowed the Red Sox to restore a two-game lead for the second wild-card spot.
“That was a great win,” Cora said. “Everybody was into it.”
Sale produced another strong effort that should have been good enough for another victory, allowing just two runs over six innings, his longest outing in four starts since his return from Tommy John surgery.
It could have been much worse as the lefty allowed 13 baserunners — allowing six hits, two walks and hitting two with a pitch — but he avoided trouble thanks to three well-timed double plays, two from the unlikely middle infield combo of Jonathan Arauz and Jack Lopez. Sale was also fortunate in the fourth, when Manuel Margot was caught inexplicably trying to steal third before Lopez turned into a solo double play to end the inning.
It wasn’t the sharpest night for Margot, who helped the Red Sox take a 1-0 lead in the second. Alex Verdugo hit a line drive to center that got by Margot, allowing him to reach third for a triple. Then Christian Vazquez did the same thing, hitting a liner that Margot misplayed for the first run.
Wander Franco continued to crush the Red Sox with a two-run homer in the third that barely got out to give the Rays a 2-1 lead. The Red Sox had a golden opportunity to respond in the fifth, when Vazquez singled and Arauz drew a two-out walk. But on Kyle Schwarber’s two-out single to right, third-base coach Carlos Febles made a bad decision to send Vazquez, and the catcher was thrown out at home by at least 10 feet.
But Vazquez made up for it in the seventh. After Sale kept it a one-run game, working around a pair of baserunners in the sixth, Vazquez came up with one out in the seventh and wasted no time against Collin McHugh, blasting the first pitch he saw to the left-field seats for a game-tying homer.
The Rays threatened to retake the lead in both the seventh and eighth, but in a rarity of late, the Red Sox’ defense saved them as they cut down a runner at the plate in both innings. Franco doubled to center to lead off the eighth and moved to third on a ground out before Arauz threw him out on a
Margot grounder. Garrett Whitlock then overcame a balk to strike out Mike Zunino and send it to the ninth.
Duran, who’s been struggling at the plate, came up with two runners on and two outs and rolled a single to right. Rafael Devers hustled home, choosing not to slide at the plate and getting there just before the throw for the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning run.