Red Sox fall to Rays 3-1 as Díaz hits leadoff homer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz hit a leadoff homer and drove in two runs because the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Purple Sox 3-1 on Monday evening.

Jonathan Aranda knocked within the tiebreaking run with a fifth-inning single for the AL East leaders, who had misplaced 5 of six.

Díaz put Tampa Bay on the board together with his fourth leadoff homer this season, hitting the primary pitch from Boston starter Connelly Early into the left-field seats. Díaz then drove in Taylor Partitions on a sacrifice fly within the eighth, when Tampa Bay manufactured an insurance coverage run with out a hit.

Aranda’s two-out single scored Austin Slater from third to interrupt a 1-all tie within the fifth, chasing Early (5-4). Slater, making his Tampa Bay debut, reached on an infield single earlier than stealing second and advancing to 3rd on a wild pitch.

Left-hander Ian Seymour, the Rays’ opener, retired his first 5 batters and didn’t permit a success till the third, when Marcelo Mayer evened the rating with a solo homer.

However after that, Seymour set down his ultimate six batters. He pitched a season-high 4 innings, permitting one hit and a stroll with 5 strikeouts. Tampa Bay’s bullpen shut out the Purple Sox over the ultimate 5 innings, yielding simply three hits. Casey Legumina (2-0) received the win and Bryan Baker earned his seventeenth save.

Other than Mayer’s residence run, just one Purple Sox participant reached third base. The Rays improved to 5-0 when utilizing an opener, and 29-1 when main after seven innings.

Tampa Bay catcher Nick Fortes efficiently challenged two pitches to earn strikeouts for Rays relievers, together with on Caleb Durbin within the seventh with the potential tying run in scoring place. Fortes additionally threw out Ceddanne Rafaela making an attempt to steal, ending the sixth.

Up subsequent

Tampa Bay RHP Nick Martinez (5-2, 2.29 ERA) begins Tuesday reverse Purple Sox LHP Payton Tolle (3-2, 2.28).