Jose Alvarado struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays hung on for a 2-1 victory over the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Alvarado entered the game after Diego Castillo allowed a homer to Mookie Betts to open the inning and issued a one-out walk to Xander Bogaerts.

Alvarado allowed a single to Rafael Devers on the first pitch and fanned rookie Michael Chavis before he walked Steve Pearce on a full-count cutter just off the inside corner.

Alvarado reached a full count on Bradley but used his cutter to get the swinging strikeout.

His high-wire act occurred in his first appearance since last Sunday when he allowed the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and took consecutive losses to the Red Sox after opening the season with 10 straight scoreless outings.

Emilio Pagan allowed a leadoff single to Christian Vazquez while pitching a scoreless ninth for his third save. He retired Andrew Benintendi and Betts before ending the game by striking out Mitch Moreland.

Before the Rays held on in the late innings, Charlie Morton (3-0) pitched six innings of two-hit shutout ball. He allowed an infield single to Betts in the third and a booming double to Bogaerts in the sixth but escaped each time.

In the third, Morton stranded Betts at third by fanning Bogaerts. In the sixth, he kept Bogaerts at second by retiring Devers and Chavis.

Yandy Diaz homered on the second pitch of the game from David Price (1-2) and Mike Zunino added an RBI single for the Rays, who were swept last weekend at home by the Red Sox.

Chaz Roe recorded the first two outs of the seventh and Adam Kolarek struck out Benintendi to end the inning.

Price saw his 14-game unbeaten streak at Fenway halted and took his first home loss since losing to the Rays on April 28, 2018. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings after going 10-0 during the unbeaten streak.

Boston lost for the third time in its last eight games and also played without designated hitter J.D. Martinez. Martinez was scratched about two hours before first pitch due to back spasms.

The Rays went ahead when Diaz hit the second pitch of the game from Price over the Green Monster in left field. Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead on Zunino's single off the Green Monster in the fourth but left the bases loaded when Price struck out Guillermo Heredia and retired Willy Adames.

--Field Level Media