ST. PETERSBURG, FL- Following back-to-back wins against the struggling Kansas City Royals, the Boston Red Sox looked to inch one game closer to that third AL Wild Card spot in this now crucial three-game series.
After a stellar performance by recently acquired Rays starting pitcher Aaron Civale, who went five innings, gathering 12 strikeouts and giving up only one run, Rays manager Kevin Cash handed the ball to Chris Devinski with one out and runners on first and second in the top of sixth. Devinski’s first batter, Red Sox future star Tristan Casas, hit a towering three-run homer to left-center field to give the Red Sox the lead.
With three innings remaining, the Red Sox added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth after Rays relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge gave up an RBI single to Tristan Casas and a two run home run to Masataka Yoshida. This dynamic Red Sox rookie tandem continues to dominate, as Casas climbs the AL Rookie of The Year ladder with Yoshida not too far behind. In the bottom of the nine inning, Kenley Jansen came in and sealed the deal in this key Red Sox series-opening victory bringing the Red Sox win total to 72 and only four and a half games away from a third AL wild card spot.
The Rays offense, despite the hot start with three runs in the first inning, offered no support and the Red Sox held the Rays to a total of seven base runners throughout the entirety of Monday’s game. In addition, Josh Lowe was the lone Ray with a multi-hit game.
Key Takeaways
- Aaron Civale continues to impress with another excellent performance despite the loss.
- Failure of the Rays’ bullpen to hold the lead brings forward yet another area of concern for this team.
- The Rays offense was held to three runs (all in the first inning) and only five hits. The offense needs attention.
- Returning from the 60-day injured list, in his fifth appearance of the season, Andrew Kittredge allowed the first earned runs of his 2023 campaign.