Rafael Devers' go-ahead RBI single in seventh inning helped Boston hand Tampa Bay its third straight defeat on Thursday night as the Red Sox beat the Rays 4-3 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Devers lined a single to right to plate Christian Arroyo for his third RBI of the night and break a 3-3 tie. Devers hit a two-run home run for a 2-0 Boston lead in the third.
Reliever Matt Barnes ended the game by striking out Austin Meadows looking on a 96 mph fastball up in the zone to record his fifth save and give the Red Sox (16-29) their second straight win.
Rookie sensation Bobby Dalbec homered for the fifth straight game, and Arroyo produced two hits and a run for the Red Sox. Reliever Ryan Weber (1-2) allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings.
Boston's Mike Kickham worked as a starter for the first time since 2013 and tossed four innings that featured two runs on three hits with a career-high eight strikeouts.
Rays starter Josh Fleming lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out five in his fourth career start. Reliever Pete Fairbanks (4-2) allowed Devers' single in his one inning of work.
Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Lowe each hit solo home runs, and Manuel Margot went 2-for-5 with a run and two stolen bases for the first-place Rays (28-16), who struck out 17 times.
Boston used some two-out, bases-empty hitting to score the game's first two runs in the top of the third after Fleming cruised with five strikeouts through the first 2 2/3 innings.
After Alex Verdugo stroked a single to left, Devers walloped an 86 mph slider from Fleming high down the right field line. The shot barely stayed fair, traveling just inside the top of the foul pole for Devers' 10th home run.
The Rays tied it 2-2 when Renfroe and Lowe both homered to center field in the bottom of the fourth, marking the fifth time this season the Rays have clubbed consecutive homers. Hitting just .153, Renfroe bashed his seventh, and Lowe -- who hadn't homered since Aug. 26 -- mashed his team-leading 11th.
Dalbec blasted his sixth home run in his 10th big-league game with an opposite-field shot off Fleming in the fifth for a 3-2 lead, but the Rays matched it when Meadows sliced a ground-rule double to left after Margot singled and stole his 10th base to open the frame.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Tampa Bay | |
Mike Kickham | Player | Josh Fleming |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
4.0 | IP | 4.1 |
8 | Strikeouts | 5 |
3 | Hits | 6 |
4.50 | ERA | 6.23 |
Boston | Tampa Bay | |
Rafael Devers | Player | Manuel Margot |
3 | Hits | 2 |
3 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 2 |
.750 | Avg | .400 |