Red Sox 11, Rays 7
The Boston Red Sox win to officially eliminate the Tampa Bay Rays from playoff contention in the series opener on Friday. This was in large part due to a seven-run eighth inning from the Red Sox.
Red Sox – Rays Game Summary
After a failed two-out rally from the Red Sox, the Rays struck with vengeance. Nick Fortes hit an RBI single to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.
After an infield single from Nate Eaton to begin the top of the second, Nathaniel Lowe followed with a single. Eaton, stealing on the play, rounded third, tying the game at one.
After a pop-out from Richie Palacios in the bottom of the second, Carson Williams stepped up and hit a first-pitch cutter from Garrett Crochet to the opposite field. Eaton, despite trying to rob it, couldn’t prevent the ball from reaching the crowd. Williams got himself a stadium special, which is when a home run, according to Baseball Savant, wouldn’t have been a home run in any stadium other than the one it was hit in.
After a Trevor Story groundout to start the third inning, Alex Bregman hit his 18th home run of the year to tie the game at two.
This wicked game of back-and-forth ended in the bottom of the third, as Yandy Diaz led off with another opposite-field home run to retake the lead for the Rays, 3-2.
The Red Sox took some time to respond, but did in a big way. After a base knock from Ceddanne Rafaela to start the 7th, Jarren Duran came and smashed one against the fellow lefty. 385 feet down the right field pole later, the Red Sox took their first lead of the game.
Red Sox 8th Inning Secures Win to Eliminate Rays
The Rays called on the recently called-up Cole Wilcox to keep the game at bay, as the game was starting to get out of hand.
RBI singles from Eaton and Rafaela gave the Red Sox some insurance to make the score 6-3. To pair with it, two errors cost the Rays three more runs. Edwin Uceta finally forced a Carlos Narvaez groundout to end the top of the 8th. But the Red Sox had already scored seven runs to make it an 11-3 ballgame.
The extra runs scored in the eighth became important to the Red Sox, as Everson Pereira hit a grand slam in the ninth inning to bring the game to our eventual final score of 11-7.
What Went Right for the Red Sox
Finally, Some Offense!
This is the most runs the Red Sox have scored in a game since September 2, when they plated 11 against the Cleveland Guardians. Coincidentally, it was the same game in which Roman Anthony was injured.
Potential Slumpbuster?
Rafaela went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. This is the most hits he’s had in a game in 2025, and his first multi-hit game since September 2.
Low Stress for Pitching
Crochet, despite allowing two home runs, allowed only four hits overall, while striking out nine Rays batters. Justin Slaten and Zack Kelly also got through their innings with relative ease.
What Went Wrong for the Red Sox
Nothing Comes Easy
Allowing four runs, while the Rays flirted too much with tying the game in the 9th, is something that shouldn’t be happening. Feeling the need to warm up Aroldis Chapman with one out left to get is not a good sign.
Story’s Performance
Story went 0-for-6 in this matchup. While it’s nice to see the rest of the lineup pick up the slack, Story has been the engine keeping the Red Sox going. Surely, the Red Sox don’t want to see him slumping so close to October.
Looking Ahead
The Red Sox will look to win the series at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday or Sunday. The Red Sox will look to gain some distance from the Cleveland Guardians, who sit a game and a half behind the Red Sox for the final AL Wild Card spot.
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