The Quest for .500 Continues: Rays 2, Red Sox 1

Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley outperforms Nick Pivetta in a tightly contested 2-1 victory.

The Tampa Bay Rays kept their hopes alive for a seventh consecutive season with a record of .500 or better by edging the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Friday night at Fenway Park.

Taj Bradley set the tone for Tampa Bay, delivering six shutout innings while striking out seven and allowing only four hits. His performance extended the Rays’ impressive streak of starters, allowing three earned runs or fewer to 20 consecutive games. Bradley’s poise on the mound was evident as he navigated the Red Sox lineup with confidence that rivals the feeling of a fresh haircut.

The game remained scoreless through six innings, thanks partly to key defensive plays by the Rays. In the bottom of the second, José Caballero made an impressive diving stop to retire Vaughn Grissom for the second out, robbing him of a potential hit.

In the bottom of the third, the Red Sox threatened with runners on the corners and one out. However, Trevor Story grounded into a 5-4-3 double play initiated by Junior Caminero, effectively halting Boston’s momentum.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Taj Bradley ended his outing with a remarkable play. After slipping while fielding a groundball hit by Connor Wong, he made the throw to first base from the seat of his pants, securing the out and concluding his night on a high note.

While Bradley finished his day with 6.0 innings pitched, the Red Sox sent their starter, Nick Pivetta, back out for the seventh inning, which proved to be a mistake as the Rays broke the deadlock on the scoreboard. Jonathan Aranda drew a walk, and Jonny DeLuca singled, putting runners on first and second with one out. Josh Lowe stepped up and delivered a crucial RBI double off the Green Monster in center field, allowing Aranda to score. DeLuca was thrown out at home on a solid relay from center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, but the Rays had taken a 1-0 lead.

After Boston brought Zach Penrod in to replace Pivetta, Richie Palacios walked, and a pitch hit Caballero to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Christopher Morel showed patience at the plate, drawing a six-pitch bases-loaded walk, forcing in Lowe, and extending the lead to 2-0. The Red Sox then brought Luis Guerrero in to replace Penrod. Guerrero got the Red Sox out of the inning on a Yandy Diaz groundout.

The Red Sox responded in the bottom of the seventh with Colin Poche on the mound for the Rays. Vaughn Grissom singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Romy Gonzalez, pinch-hitting for Wilyer Abreu, singled to left, moving Grissom to third. Nick Sogard hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Grissom and trimming the Rays’ lead to 2-1. With the tying run on third after an error, Poche escaped the inning by inducing a lineout from Jarren Duran.

The Rays’ bullpen held firm in the final innings. Manuel Rodríguez pitched a clean eighth, recording two strikeouts. In the ninth, Edwin Uceta closed out the game despite allowing a single to Grissom. He retired the next two batters to secure the win and earn the save.

The win marked the Rays’ final night game of the season as they prepare to turn the lights off on the 2024 season. The Rays play their penultimate game of the season tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:10 pm, with Shane Baz starting for the Rays and Kutter Crawford scheduled to start for the Red Sox.