The Boston Red Sox have plenty of work to do to climb in the American League standings, but strong pitching will go a long way in that goal.
Payton Tolle (1-1, 2.04 ERA) will look to author another sparkling performance when the Red Sox continue a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.
Tolle will return to the mound after fellow left-hander Connelly Early threw a career-high seven shutout innings and the late-game duo Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door for a 2-0 win Friday to even the series. It was Boston’s MLB-leading sixth shutout of the season.
“It’s easy (to push a young starter seven innings deep) when they’re pitching that way,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said of Early, 24.
Tolle worked seven in his most recent outing as well, limiting the Detroit Tigers to two unearned runs on one hit while striking out eight en route to his first MLB win on Monday, 5-4.
Tolle’s only start at Fenway Park this season also was dominant, as he struck out 11 and allowed one run over six innings against the New York Yankees on April 23. Saturday will mark his first career start against the Rays, though he made one relief appearance against them last season, giving up one run and two hits in one inning on Sept. 21.
The Red Sox managed just four hits on Friday, but two were solo home runs — one each by Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela.
“(The Rays) only had four, too,” Tracy said. “That’s gonna happen, but you’re pitching well and a couple balls go over the fence. You’ve gotta win that way sometimes as well.”
It all led to Boston’s fourth win in five games. The Red Sox now are tieid with Baltimore for fourth place in the AL East.
“Like I said early in the year, it’s just a matter of time for everybody to get back to the rhythm and the timing,” Abreu said. “The results are coming. Everybody can see it.”
The Rays will look to shake off a feeling that has been rare in recent weeks, as Friday’s loss snapped a seven-game winning streak and marked only their second setback in 15 games. They had also been 7-0 against AL East foes.
“We get to lean on each other. It’s not just one person,” outfielder Chandler Simpson said of the Rays’ offensive strength after Thursday’s series opener, an 8-4 victory. “We know we have Junior (Caminero), who can be Superman. Yandy (Diaz) can be Superman.”
However, it was missing on Friday night.
Nick Fortes notched two of the four hits for a Tampa Bay offense that did not record an extra-base knock and was unable to convert on a bases-loaded, no-out jam against Early in the third.
Still, the Rays have gone a franchise-record 15 consecutive games without allowing more than three earned runs.
Aiming to keep the streak going, their injury-riddled rotation will turn to its current leader in Nick Martinez (3-1, 1.71 ERA). He has been victorious in three straight starts, allowing just two runs in 20 innings.
The veteran right-hander pitched five innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts in his most recent start, a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
“I just like the way he uses all pitches (in) all counts,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He dropped in some curveballs and changeups below the zone, got some fastballs, ran some sinkers in. It’s a pretty steady mix.”
Martinez is 1-3 with a 5.80 ERA in nine career appearances (five starts) against the Red Sox, including a July 2 victory last season.
–Field Level Media
