The Tampa Bay Rays let one bad inning destroy a strong game all around, as Matt Andriese and Alex Colome blew a five-run lead with four outs to go to fall to the Boston Red Sox 8-7 Sunday, finish off a three-game sweep at Fenway Park.
OFFENSE PROVIDES STEADY OUTPUT: After falling behind 1-0 in the first on an RBI groundout by Hanley Ramirez, Tampa Bay scored single runs in every inning from the second through the sixth, then put up a pair of runs in the seventh. C.J. Cron tied the game in the second with his first home run as a member of the Rays, and Carlos Gomez broke the tie in the third. Tampa Bay stretched the lead to 3-1 in the fourth thanks to a base hit by Adeiny Hechavarria and made it 4-1 in the fifth with a Brad Miller base hit.
After Ramirez singled in a run in the fifth to cut the lead back to 4-2, Kevin Kiermaier, who had been 2 for his first 31 this season with 14 strikeouts, finally broke out of his funk with an RBI triple in the sixth.
Tampa Bay added a pinch-hit RBI triple from Joey Wendle in the sixth, and Jesus Sucre made it 7-2 with a sacrifice fly.
LATE BULLPEN DENIES TAMPA BAY VICTORY: After Andrew Kittredge worked the first two frames, and Ruyan Yarbrough worked four innings of one-run ball, it was two of the more experienced pitchers that struggled Sunday to try and get three outs in the eighth inning. Andriese had two out and Ramirez at second base with a five-run lead, but saw a double from Mitch Moreland bring in a run, a two-run double by Rafael Devers make it 7-5, then Colome gave up a base hit to Christian Vazquez to make it 7-6, a single by Mookie Betts to tie the game and an RBI double to Andrew Benintendi to give the Red Sox the lead.
For Colome (0-1), it's his second consecutive save opportunity blown after failing to convert just six in 53 chances in 2017.
INFIELDERS BANGED UP ON BOTH SIDES: Both the Rays and Red Sox saw an infielder leave the game due to injury. For Tampa Bay, first baseman Brad Miller was lifted in the seventh after tweaking his surgically repaired groin running the bases in the fifth. Boston lost shortstop Xander Bogaerts on Wendle's triple when he injured his ankle sliding to prevent the baseball from going into the visiting dugout and he instead slid into the Rays dugout.
MONDAY'S MATCHUP
Rays at Chicago White Sox, Guaranteed Rate Field, 2:10 pm first pitch
Rays starter - RHP Chris Archer (0-0, 6.55 ERA)
White Sox starter - RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday - at Chicago White Sox, 2:10 pm
Wednesday - at Chicago White Sox, 2:10 pm
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