Rays rough up Sox in opener of twinbill

Tampa Bay beats the Red Sox, 9-2, on Saturday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

BOSTON -- A chance taken and a chance missed defined the day half of Saturday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park.

 Really, if we’re taking a view of the big picture, that seems to tell the story of the Red Sox' season to date. The Rays capitalized on their opportunity in the top of the second inning through a three-run homer by Travis d’Arnaud. Boston plated a lone run and stranded a pair in the bottom half.

 That exchange paved the way for a 9-2 Tampa Bay victory on a stunning afternoon in the Back Bay.

 Boston spot starter Josh Smith allowed all four of his runs in the second, with three of them coming on one swing. He tried to slip a cut-fastball through the front door against d’Arnaud, one that stayed at the belt on the inner half of the plate, and d’Arnaud smashed it over everything in left and onto Lansdowne Street, the only offense the visitors required to secure at least a split of the four-game weekend series.

 The Red Sox could have tied it immediately. Three straight Boston hitters reached with one out, including a sharp RBI single up the middle by Sam Travis to make it 4-1. Jackie Bradley Jr. lined to shallow right and Sandy Leon struck out swinging, bringing an end to the lone real rally the home team enjoyed against Ryan Yarbrough.

 Brandon Lowe’s RBI single later in the second was the end of the damage against Smith and Colten Brewer was scuffed for an unearned run on two walks, an error and a passed ball in the fifth. Lowe’s squeeze bunt, Ji-Man Choi’s soft liner to center, Yandy Diaz’s one-hopper through the left side and Kevin Kiermaier’s looper to shallow right all went for RBI singles in the ninth, as Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor couldn’t escape unscathed. The Rays had matters well in hand by then, as Yarbrough followed up Friday’s strong start by Yonny Chirinos with one of his own.

 Never mind that the left-hander carried a 6.23 earned-run average into this one. Yarbrough worked 1-2-3 frames in the first, third, fourth and fifth. Michael Chavis lined a one-out single to right in the sixth and was quickly erased when Xander Bogaerts grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

 Tampa Bay seemed to open the door again for Boston in the seventh and slammed it shut just as quickly. Rafael Devers reached on an error when his leadoff grounder to short was booted. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging and Eduardo Nunez followed the unfortunate example set by Bogaerts, hitting into his own 6-4-3 twin-killing.

 Yarbrough was touched for a solo home run off the Pesky Pole by Bradley in the eighth, but he still turned in arguably the best pitching line in his 47 career appearances. Yarbrough struck out seven against no walks and set new personal bests by completing 7 2/3 innings and throwing 110 pitches.