Perhaps a winning weekend in the Bronx can spark the Boston Red Sox, who have had to overcome close losses and numerous injuries for a challenging start to the season that has them in fourth place in the American League East.
After clinching the series win over the New York Yankees with an 11-7 victory on Sunday night, the Red Sox will look to keep up the momentum on Monday night when they begin the first series of a six-game homestand against another division rival in the Tampa Bay Rays.
Manager Alex Cora’s club has scored at least six runs in four straight contests, including reaching double digits in back-to-back games to conclude the series in New York.
Without the likes of star third baseman Alex Bregman, former Yankee Carlos Narvaez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning and Abraham Toro went 3-for-5 with two doubles and his own round-tripper. It was a 12-hit Red Sox attack on Sunday.
“We need everybody to contribute,” Cora said.
Youngsters have been a key part of Boston’s recent play, though highly regarded rookie third baseman Marcelo Mayer is still adjusting to life on the bench. He homered on Friday and had a pinch hit on Saturday, though he was again out of the Sunday starting lineup and later got in the game.
“Like I told him, at one point — I don’t know if it’s going to be this season or one point in his career — we’re not going to pinch hit for him,” Cora said. “I made sure to let him know that, because he’s very important to what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Brayan Bello (2-1, 3.91 ERA) failed to complete five innings in the last five of his six May starts, but he worked six solid last Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander struck out four while allowing three runs on six hits, though the Red Sox wound up taking a 4-3 loss after he exited.
Prior to that outing, Red Sox pitchers had allowed at least one first-inning run in four consecutive games.
“Just trying to control what I can control,” Bello said.
Bello is 2-4 with a 5.73 ERA in seven career appearances against Tampa Bay, two of which came last season when he struck out 13 over 11 2/3 innings.
The Rays will provide a stiff challenge in Boston, having just gone 5-1 on a six-game homestand which they capped with a 3-2 win on Sunday over the Miami Marlins. It clinched Tampa’s sixth straight series win or split and makes it a league-best 14-4 since May 20.
“There are days that we’re not going to hit, offense is not going to be there,” Rays designated hitter/first baseman Yandy Diaz said. “But (on Sunday), defense was there, and our baserunning was good, and we did our job.”
Diaz went 3-for-4 with a game-tying home run and a double on Sunday. It was his sixth three-hit game of the season. After his eighth-inning double, Jose Caballero came off the bench and stole third before scoring the deciding run on Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly.
“Cabby is about as fearless of a player that I’ve been around,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He knows the purpose of him going in there.”
Rays right-hander Shane Baz (5-3, 4.96) will look to duplicate his success against Boston from earlier in the season, as he struck out 11 and allowed just one run on two hits in a six-inning start on April 14.
Baz has beaten the Red Sox in all three of his career starts, pitching to a 2.37 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 19 innings.
The 25-year-old is also coming off a 5-4 home victory in his start last Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. He allowed three runs and struck out five over five innings.
–Field Level Media
