ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Red Sox had less than a day to enjoy Tuesday night’s achievements.
They’re no longer 10 games over the .500 mark. They’re back behind the Rays in the American League East standings.
A sweep of this three-game series at Tropicana Field eluded Boston on Wednesday afternoon. Charlie Morton bested David Price in a pitcher’s duel, one marred by some late lineup gymnastics perpetrated by Tampa Bay.
The Red [...]
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Red Sox had less than a day to enjoy Tuesday night’s achievements.
They’re no longer 10 games over the .500 mark. They’re back behind the Rays in the American League East standings.
A sweep of this three-game series at Tropicana Field eluded Boston on Wednesday afternoon. Charlie Morton bested David Price in a pitcher’s duel, one marred by some late lineup gymnastics perpetrated by Tampa Bay.
The Red Sox lodged an official protest with Major League Baseball in the top of the eighth inning. The result on the field remained unchanged, as the Rays were able to protect a one-run lead in a 3-2 victory.
Morton’s fourth win in his last five starts provided Tampa Bay with what has been an increasingly rare bit of light. The Rays had dropped seven of eight games into Wednesday while Boston had captured 17 of its last 21 on the road. The Red Sox squandered an early 2-0 lead and now await a decision from the commissioner’s office that could save them from defeat.
Tommy Pham was the lone Tampa Bay hitter to find any early success against Price. The Rays were 0-for-12 otherwise through four innings, but Pham’s walk in the first was followed by a solo home run to left leading off the fourth. Pham jumped on a 1-and-1 changeup out over the plate and kept it just inside the foul pole, making it 2-1.
Tampa Bay zeroed in on Price in the fifth. Mike Brosseau led off with a sharp single to center, took second on a wild pitch and scored when Joey Wendle dropped the tying RBI single into short center. Guillermo Heredia followed with an RBI double to deep left-center, and the hosts suddenly enjoyed their first lead of the series.
Price escaped the fifth thanks to a 4-6-3 double play and completed six innings for the first time since July 2. His eight strikeouts were the most recorded by Price since his June 25 outing against the White Sox. The Red Sox, however, have dropped three straight Price starts for the first time since April 22-May 3 of last season.
All of Boston’s offense against Morton came in the third. Brock Holt looped a leadoff single down the line in left and Mookie Betts slammed a double up the gap in left-center to put two men in scoring position with one out. The Rays brought the infield in and shifted three men to the right side for Rafael Devers, who sent a soft grounder to left for a two-run single that made it 2-0.
Morton retired the next 10 men he faced and 14 of his last 15, allowing only a two-out single to center by J.D. Martinez in the sixth. His 11 strikeouts made Morton just the fourth pitcher to reach double digits against the Red Sox this season. It’s also the second time Morton has bested Price this season, the first coming in a 2-1 duel at Fenway Park on April 27.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25