Tampa Bay's hitters got just two hits against Chris Sale, but gave starter Blake Snell the lead with each of them. However, the left-hander could not hold either advantage, as the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 6-3 win over the Rays Saturday at Fenway Park.
The Rays first hit came in the bottom of the second inning, as Logan Morrison led off the inning with his team-leading tenth home run of the year, a solo blast that gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.
Snell, who needed just 21 pitches to get the first six outs of the game, ended up walking Sandy Leon to start the third, and two batters later gave up the lead, as Mookie Betts lifted a 2-0 fastball into the seats above the left-field wall for a 2-1 lead.
Tampa Bay rallied for their second lead of the afternoon in the fifth, as Sale walked Derek Norris before Kevin Kiermaier turned around a 98 mile per hour fastball on an 0-2 pitch, sending it into the seats beyond the home bullpen to take a 3-2 lead.
That second lead would be short-lived as again Snell walked Leon to start an inning, this time the bottom of the fifth, then gave up three straight doubles by Jackie Bradley, Jr., Deven Marrero (whose two-run two-base hit gave Boston the lead for good) and Betts that gave the Red Sox a 5-3 advantage. An RBI groundout by Xander Bogaerts set the score at 6-3.
Snell (0-4) worked into the sixth for the first time since his first start of 2017 on April 6.
Sale (4-2) ended up throwing seven innings, allowing the three runs on two hits and struck out 12. Tampa Bay hitters ended up striking out a total of 16 times, as Joe Kelly struck out a pair in the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel struck out two in the ninth for his 11th save.
The loss drops the Rays back to a season-worst three games under .500 at 18-21.
Tampa Bay can still take the series with a win in Sunday's finale. Matt Andriese (2-1, 3.12 ERA) is scheduled to get the start, taking on left-hander Drew Pomeranz (3-2, 5.23 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:35, weather permitting, with coverage on WDAE starting at 11:30 with The Inside Pitch, presented by Sykes Lakeland.
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