Brandon Lowe's team-leading 12th home run broke a seventh-inning tie as the host Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Saturday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lowe broke a 4-4 tie by skying a long shot with two outs in the seventh off Marcus Walden (0-2) -- a deep drive to right-center on a high fastball -- to give the Rays (30-16) their seventh victory in nine games against Boston.
Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow (3-1) worked seven innings and became the pitcher of record after Lowe's blast. Austin Meadows produced a solo homer, and Manuel Margot was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Boston's Nathan Eovaldi, who has been out with a right calf strain, made his first start since last pitching on Aug. 20 and allowed one run on three hits over three innings, striking out four. Christian Arroyo and Michael Chavis homered, Jackie Bradley Jr. singled, scored and stole two bases, and Xander Bogaerts scored and notched two steals.
The Red Sox (16-31) stole six bases on Glasnow -- the most by any club in the majors this year.
On a 3-2 pitch from Eovaldi, Meadows jumped all over a down-and-in 99 mph fastball, launching it high and deep into the right-field seats. Meadows' homer, his fourth in a tough year at the plate, was the fifth career leadoff long ball by the left fielder.
But Chavis matched Meadows with a solo shot of his own -- his third -- on a 95 mph belt-high fastball leading off the third. The loud blast cleared center field for a 1-1 tie.
The leadoff work of Bogaerts put Boston ahead in the fourth. The shortstop drew a walk during a 10-pitch at-bat, then promptly stole second and third, and Kevin Plawecki singled him in for a 2-1 lead.
Chris Mazza relieved Eovaldi in the bottom half and walked two of the first three batters. Nate Lowe then singled in Ji-Man Choi -- who hurt his left hamstring on the slide at home and left the game -- and Margot smacked a double into the left-center gap to score Willy Adames and Lowe for a 4-2 lead.
Arroyo slugged a long two-run homer to left in the seventh -- his first this year -- off Glasnow to knot it 4-4.
Rays reliever Nick Anderson worked a perfect eighth, and Diego Castillo allowed one hit but struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save in five opportunities.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Tampa Bay | |
Nathan Eovaldi | Player | Tyler Glasnow |
No Decision | W/L | Win |
3.0 | IP | 7.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 7 |
3 | Hits | 6 |
3.00 | ERA | 5.14 |
Boston | Tampa Bay | |
Christian Arroyo | Player | Manuel Margot |
1 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 2 |
1 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 3 |
.333 | Avg | .667 |