After losing six of nine games on their most recent homestand, the Tampa Bay Rays got a home run from Evan Longoria and six innings of one-hit baseball from Alex Cobb before the defense tried to give the game away, as the Rays escaped with a 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox Friday at Fenway Park.
With Tampa Bay leading 5-0 with one out in the seventh, Chris Young lifted a fly ball to medium right field that Colby Rasmus seemed to defer to Logan Morrison to get. The first baseman dropped the baseball for a double. Mitch Moreland drew a walk, and Josh Rutledge's chopper down the third base line was thrown into the stands by Cobb for a base hit and an error to make it 5-1.
Sandy Leon followed with a two-run double to cut the lead to 5-3, and after Kevin Cash brought in Jose Alvarado, a ground ball by Jackie Bradley Jr. was booted by Brad Miller, then thrown wide by the second baseman for a pair of errors that made it a one-run game.
Erasmo Ramirez got the final two outs of the seventh, but got into trouble himself in the eighth, giving up a leadoff double by Xander Bogaerts followed by a walk to Andrew Benintendi. Young's flyout to right allowed Bogaerts to take third as the potential tying run with less than one out, but Cash brought in Farquhar, who struck out Mitch Moreland, then Colome, who finished the game by getting the final four outs for his ninth save.
Tampa Bay got on the board in the fourth with a two-run single by Tim Beckham, and added three more runs an inning later thanks to a double by Corey Dickerson, followed by a two-run homer by Longoria, his fifth of the season.
Cobb ended picking up his third win of the year, evening his record at 3-3.
Tampa Bay will look to clinch a series win Saturday, as Blake Snell (0-3, 3.96 ERA) takes on Chris Sale (3-2, 1.92 ERA). First pitch Saturday has been moved up to 1:05 due to anticipated inclement weather. Pregame coverage on WDAE will begin at noon with The Inside Pitch, presented by Sykes Lakeland.