Rays 4, Red Sox 5: Curse you, extra innings.
The Rays lost it thanks to a rough 11th (and 12th), after getting the lead back in extras. Boo.
Howdy Rays fans. Let’s bypass the preamble and jump right into how this game went.
Aaron Civale was on the mound for the Rays, Nick Pivetta was up for the Red Sox.
The Rays wasted no time getting on the board as Josh Lowe hammered his first home run of the season with two outs in the top of the first inning. In the bottom half, the Sox went 1-2-3.
The second was three-up three-down for the Rays. In the home half Rafael Devers singled, but three outs followed to leave the baserunner stranded. The third inning was three-up three-down on both sides.
In the top of the fourth Isaac Paredes singled with two outs, but the Rays couldn’t bring him home. Things got rough for Civale in the bottom of the fourth, Connor Wong got a one-out single, but was eliminated on a force out that saw Devers get safely to first. Tyler O’Neill singled, then Dominic Smith doubled to score Devers and O’Neill, giving the Red Sox the lead.
Onto the fifth, Jonny DeLuca singled to start things off, but got caught stealing. Two outs followed, leaving the Rays unlucky. With one out in the bottom of the inning Ceddanne Rafaela got a solo home run to put the Sox up 3-1.
In the top of the sixth with two outs, Randy Arozarena hit a home run quite literally out of the park.
Randy sent a souvenir to the neighbors across the street. pic.twitter.com/H0aL4pC1I0
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 15, 2024
That was it for Nick Pivetta, replaced by Justin Slaten. Josh Lower doubled, then Isaac Paredes singled to score Lowe, tying the game 3-3. Amen Rosario got a single of his own but the Rays had to settle for the tie. In the bottom half, Civale was done after five with a final line of 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HR on 76 pitches. Shawn Armstrong was next out of the pen and he got the Red Sox to go down in order.
The Rays were 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. Phil Maton was next out of the pen for the Rays. Dominic Smith was a free baserunner after he was hit by a pitch, but he was then eliminated in a double-play.
Chris Martin came in for relief in the eighth, and I don’t normally share Red Sox highlights, but the final out of the inning was a comebacker right at Martin, and I don’t know if you’ve ever watched a man’s life flash before his eyes before, but here you go.
RIGHT BACK AT YA, MARTIN. pic.twitter.com/IggQWTewOK
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 15, 2024
Garrett Cleavinger was the next Rays’ reliever, and he gave up a single to a pinch-hitting Rob Refsnyder, but pitched out of the jam.
Top of the ninth and Amed Rosario wanted to play hero, getting a single, but the Rays couldn’t manage a run, largely because Rosario got caught stealing to make the third out of the inning. Pete Fairbanks came in for the bottom of the ninth, hoping to get the Rays into extras. He did just that, getting the Red Sox out in order.
The Rays failed to score in the tenth, so we had to hope for no walk-off in the bottom half. Jason Adam did just that, going through the Red Sox with ease to get to the eleventh.
Baserunner Ben Rortvedt advanced to third on a Yandy Diaz groundout, but then unfortunately got swept up in a pretty epic rundown between third and home, while Randy Arozarena got safely to first. Josh Lowe was intentionally walked, in favor of Paredes. Paredes then reached on what SHOULD have been the final out of the inning thanks to a throwing error from Rafaela, scoring Arozarena and giving the Rays a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
Manuel Rodriguez was the Rays’ man in the bottom of the eleventh, hoping to get the Rays safely to their win. Jarren Duran got a one-out walk. Refsnyder grounded out, scoring ghost runner David Hamilton who was on third after the first out of the inning, and we were back to a tie game again. Honestly that should have been a double-play any other time but the infield was in. He also should have gone for the runner heading home, but he didn’t and it is what it is. Connor Wong was hit by a pitch to put two men on. The Red Sox, however, were not able to grab the win, so onwards we go to 12.
Jonny DeLuca walked to start the 12th. Jonathan Aranda grounded into a force out, advancing the free runner Rosario to third, DeLuca was out at second, and Aranda was safe at first. The Red Sox got the third out, though, with two stranded. In the bottom half Tyler O’Neill was intentionally walked, then Romy Gonzalez singled into the right field corner, scoring free runner Connor Wong, and the Red Sox won in a walk off.
Final: Red Sox 5, Rays 4