The visiting Tampa Bay Rays scored three runs in the first three innings and Nick Martinez threw one-run ball for 5 2/3 en route to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox in the final of a shortened three-game series.
Junior Caminero’s solo homer in the first opened the scoring, and a two-run second extended a lead that the Rays would not relinquish.
Martinez (4-1) worked around seven hits and struck out three in the victory, which was Tampa Bay’s second of the weekend after winning the series opener on Thursday. The teams were rained out on Saturday.
New Hampshire native Mickey Gasper (3-for-4) recorded his first three hits of his Red Sox career, including a pair of doubles.
Both teams had eight hits.
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance in the first inning and exited the game due to a right hand contusion. Andruw Monasterio subbed in for him and went 2-for-3 with a double.
The Rays wasted little time jumping on the scoreboard first as Caminero swung at a low pitch and golfed a solo homer into the Green Monster seats in left-center field in the second at-bat of the game.
Boston starter Payton Tolle (1-2) and Martinez both settled into solid innings before Tampa Bay extended its lead with two runs in the third.
After Nick Fortes sent a leadoff single into center and advanced on Taylor Walls’ sacrifice bunt, Chandler Simpson knocked a ground ball that shortstop Trevor Story misplayed with a backhand to score the Rays’ second run. Ben Williamson’s RBI knock to right made it a 3-0 score.
Cedric Mullins brought home a fourth Tampa Bay run with his squeeze bunt with one out in the sixth off Boston reliever Tyler Samaniego. Williamson walked to begin the frame before Jonathan Aranda’s pinch-hit single set the table for the insurance run.
Martinez stranded baserunners in each of the first five innings before the Red Sox got on the board in the bottom half of the sixth. After Story hit a one-out double to left, Gasper’s second hit of the day — a single to right — broke up Martinez’s shutout bid.
Bryan Baker worked the ninth for his 10th save for the Rays.
–Field Level Media
