The Boston Red Sox began a crucial stretch for their potential 2019 postseason run on Monday. They took on the Tampa Bay Rays in a three game set, trying to make up some ground in the American League East. The series is now over, with some good news for all of you Red Sox fans out there. Let’s recap this series, breaking it down game by game.
Game 1: Red Sox 9 Rays 4
The Red Sox came out in game one and flat out punched the Rays in the mouth. This one saw a lot of power out of the Red Sox bats from the start. Rafael Devers kicked off the scoring with a two run RBI double. J.D. Martinez hit a three run home run and led the way with a 2-5 night with four RBI’s. Andrew Benintendi and Sam Travis also hit home runs as part of a seven run third inning that gave way to an easy 9-4 win for the Red Sox. On the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez threw seven shutout innings, giving up two hits, four walks, and six strikeouts on the night. It was safe to say that the Red Sox got off on the right foot in this series after game one.
Game 2: Red Sox 5 Rays 4
This one was not as much of a walk in the park as the first game. The Red Sox had to use all 27 of their offensive outs, and a shaky last half inning in the bottom of the ninth, to come away with a 5-4 victory. Andrew Benintendi led the way with a 2-4 performance with 2 RBI’s. Christian Vazquez found himself hitting a deep home run for his 16th of the season. Chris Sale was on the mound in this one and he looked like the Sale we’re used to seeing. He threw six innings giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 10 strikeouts; and still had a no decision. The combination of Brandon Workman and Marcus Walden helped secure a one run victory for the Red Sox. That also secured a series win going into the final game of the series on Wednesday.
Game 3: Rays 3 Red Sox 2 (For Now!)
The “For Now!” part we’ll get to in a second. The Red Sox struck first in this one with a two run single from Rafael Devers in the third inning. Unfortunately, that would be the only scoring the Red Sox could muster in the series finale. Charlie Morton kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard after that, going seven innings with 11 strikeouts to his credit.
Here’s the “For Now!” part. The Rays apparently had 10 players in their lineup, including two pitchers. The Red Sox tried to argue this, which led to a 19 minute delay in the game, with umpires even confused about the move. This game is under protest and some think the Red Sox have a legitimate case here. So we’ll see what happens with that. For now, the Red Sox lose this one 3-2. David Price was the tough luck loser in this one, going six innings and giving up three runs.
In Conclusion
The Red Sox proved they can be better than the Rays. They are one game back of the Rays and can catch them this weekend. The only downside: the Yankees are in town. If the Red Sox can prove that they can beat the Yankees in a series right now, the trade deadline can be extra crucial. Also, there could be another postseason in Boston with a good two months of baseball ahead of them. One series at a time though!