Each time the Rays made a little headway on offense, they quickly gave it back on defense. Well, let me be clearer: Mason Englert, the Rays starter, promptly gave it back, because when the other team is hitting dingers it’s not the fielders who are letting us down.
The Rays started the game taking advantage of Edward Rivera’s poor control. In the first inning, the first two Rays batters made outs but Junior Caminero singled, and then both Vilade and Mullins walked. There was a moment of hope when DeLuca drove a 2-2 single, an impressive clutch hit, that scored two runs.
Englert got the start, and he gave up a double to Rafaela and then a home run to Abreu and before we even had time to think “ooh a lead,” the game was tied. And then Contreras hit a home run and the score was 3-2. Even the next batter smoked a ball, but Williamson was able to make a great play to turn it into an out.
That’s OK though, because in the top of the third inning, our man Junior tied it up with this shot (111.6 mph by the way):
But the tie didn’t last long; in the next inning the Red Sox hit another home run to retake the lead, and then an inning later they scored again on a long double. At the end of four innings the Rays were down 5-3.
And that’s where it stayed. I guess the good news was that the Rays bullpen – Kimbrel, Sulser and Booser — all pitched scoreless innings, which would have put the Rays in a position to come back had they actually gotten on base. But after Junior’s home run the Rays could muster only two singles, one of which was erased on a double play.
All in all, a disappointing and low energy performance today.
